REPORT FROM "AMERICAN RlvERS"
BRINGING RlvERS TO LIFE
Rivers must have been the guides which conducted the footsteps of the first travelers. They are the constant Lure, when theyflow by our doors, to distant enterprise and adventure. ... -
H ENRY D AVID THOREAU
For us at American Rivers th ere are few more reward in g experiences than wo rking to defend and repa ir this country's 3.5- million miles of rivers and streams. But we have had our wo rk cut out for us in the 25-year life of th is organization. Fo r 100 years prior to our founding, th is co unt ry had mindlessly trashed and blocked its rivers, sq ueezin g the life from them in o rder to command the glo rious resources they have to offer. O nl y in the last two decades have we made notable headway in reversing the worst damage to our waterways, thanks to seve ral key Co ngress iona l acts that protected the li fegivin g role of rivers. A great friend to American Rivers, T im Palmer, said recently, "Our society has matured so we now th in k of ri ve rs not as pipelin es, but as lifelin es." A nd that is happenin g more and mo re as people discover that rivers sustain the natural wo rld while co ntributing to health, welfare and quali ry of life. Sadly, rivers are still terribly endangered. Sprawling develop ment crea tes ch ro ni c damage as polluted runoff from farms and ciry streets washes into ri ve rs. Excess ive amo ums of water are di verted out of rive rbeds to irrigate large far ms and serve exp lodin g popu lations. Human and livestock sewage overflows into rive rs. Dams and levees destroy ri ve r ecosystems. Industrial toxins threaten water quality. Yet, we at American Ri ve rs hold fas t to ou r co mmitment to protect th e few remaining wild pristine ri vers and restore the rivers that run through our communiti es . We invite you to join us in our efforts. -REBECCA R. WODDER, President To join the fight for river conservation, become a member ofAmerican Rivers. CaLL toLl-ftee, 1-877-amrivers or visit our web site at www. am rivers. org.
Art Deco Ferry Returns to Seattle In the 1930s, '40s and '5 0s, a peculi arl y sleek and streamlin ed ferry carried commuters across Puget So und. She was 1iamed Ka/aka/a, "fl ying bird" in the C hin ook language, although some refe rred to her as the "silver slug." For the past decade she has been gro unded o n a beach in Kodiak, Alaska, where she se rved as a fish-p rocessin g p lant. In October, ge nerous donations made it possible to tow her to Seattle. The mayor a nd port comm issioner are co nsid erin g makin g Seattle Kalakala's new perman ent ho me. (The Kalakala Foundatio n, 154 N. 35th Street, Seattle WA 98 103; 888 823- 1935; web: www.kalakala.org)
SEA HrSTORY 87, WINTER 1998-99
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International Fleet Commits to OpSail Operatio n Sail 2000 announ ced in O ctober that just over 400 tall ships have notified the organizatio n that they will be participati ng in the Mi llennium celebration . Of these, 26 C lassAs hipsareco mmitted to the program, out of the 35 C lass A vessels in the wo rld. T he associate ports, in cludin g San Juan PR, M iami FL, No rfo lk VA, Baltimore MD, Phi ladelphia PA, New York NY, New London CT and Portland ME, will receive $ 175, 000 from OpSai l fo r planmng expenses. In addition to this good news, OpSail also announced that Ocean Spray, as presenting sponsor, has given its seco nd installment of$1.5 mi llion , toward its overall commitment of $5 millio n. Operation Sail, Inc., 1615 L Street, NW, Suite 900, Washington DC 20036; 202 955-5850,fax: 202 955-6430; www. opsail. org
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