 | SUSTAINING THE FLOW A newsletter for organizational partners of the Alabama Rivers Alliance Welcome to the January 2025 edition of ARA's partner newsletter! This newsletter highlights events, news and more from our partners and organizations around our network to help keep us all informed and engaged with each other's work for change and clean water in Alabama. Read through this month's newsletter to hear about open comment opportunities, events, updates from ARA's staff, partner highlights, funding, training, and hiring opportunities. |
| | | Hello Partners and ARA Friends: If you’ve been doomscrolling half as much as we have, you know that there is an overwhelming amount of news coming out during the first couple of weeks of the new administration, particularly with regards to his Executive Orders. Many of these Executive Orders relate to our work directly or indirectly as nonprofits, as environmental advocates, and as community and justice advocates and allies. We want to take this opportunity early in 2025 to bring our alliance together to share what we are hearing, learning and reading from trusted sources like our national partners and networks. We also want to provide an opportunity for you to share and discuss concerns, thoughts and strategies for the next four years. Please join us for a Partners Only Zoom to discuss on Monday, February 17 at noon. Please register here to participate. This call will not be open to the public. Here are some links to resources and articles to learn more about the Executive Orders: |
|  | REGULATORY NEWS & COMMENT OPPORTUNITIES Relevant environmental regulatory updates & opportunities to let agencies know how their decisions can impact your work. OIL AND GAS LEASING IN CONECUH NATIONAL FOREST The USDA Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management has opened comments to receive input from tribal nations and the public on issues to address in an environmental assessment identifying lands that are available for oil and gas leasing on the Conecuh National Forest in Alabama. There is an open meeting today (Tuesday, January 28) at 4 pm at the NRCS building in Andalusia. The open comment period ends February 12, 2025. Click here to read more and submit comments. R.L.HARRIS DAM RELICENSING Two public meetings were held in December to discuss comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement on the R.L. Harris Dam project. Click here to submit comments by February 19, 2025 or contact Jack West at Alabama Rivers Alliance to join ARA's comments. |
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|  | LOOKING AHEAD IN 2025! The ARA team got together on January 2 and 3 for our annual planning and evaluation meeting - this time at our brand new office! We were so thrilled to look back on our plans for 2024, and realize we accomplished more than 90% of the goals we set!!! Stay tuned for our Annual Impact Report highlighting those goals and accomplishments. As we dive into 2025, we look forward to continuing the great success from our strategic plan. As a reminder, the three key impacts of our strategic plan are: - ARA is a valuable resource to communities and partners in advocating to ensure clean water for people and nature.
- ARA and its members are recognized by decision-makers and can influence and help guide environmental policy.
- Alabama’s natural and built water infrastructure is safe, equitable, resilient and ecologically healthy.
Click here to read more about our guiding strategic plan! _____  www.AlabamaRivers.org/WaterRally |
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| | | PARTNER HIGHLIGHTS FROM ACROSS ALABAMA Amplifying the voices of those working for change in Alabama by celebrating news, wins of all sizes, milestones and ways others could use support! Submit your news so we can celebrate you! - The Alabama Environmental Council and Wild Alabama are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Sipsey Wilderness designation throughout 2025! Read about their plans for the year here.
- Huntsville Environmental Coalition is the very first recipient of a grant from the DRIFT Fund from Alabama Beer Company, and our Grants Committee comprised of ARA, Alabama Cup Races, Waterkeepers Alabama and Alabama Scenic River Trail!
- Nina Morgan was a recent guest on the awesome podcast Climate Justice, Y'all with Abigail Franks and Marésha Malcom talking "Climate & Environmental Justice in Alabama". Take a listen here.
- Alabama Election Protection Network believes that building a better democracy begins right in our own communities. Did you know that 55% of elections in Alabama are uncontested? In 2025 they are highlighting the importance and accessibility of local elections and break down the barriers in politics. Here are the Municipal Elections in 2025:
March 4, 2025 - City of Tuscaloosa Municipal Election
August 5, 2025 - City of Dothan Municipal Election
August 26, 2025 - All Alabama municipalities not previously listed (includes City of Birmingham and Mobile) - Alabama Sustainable Agriculture Network hosted their Food & Farm Forum this past weekend at Camp McDowell for the first time in person since 2019!
- Sweet Trails Alabama has released their Statewide Trails Plan and have begun implementing. It includes a comprehensive focus on all trails including hiking, biking, paddling, horseback riding, and OHV/ATV riding. Read the plan here.
- Friends of the Locust Fork River recently hosted a full house at the Blount County Memorial Museum for a talk about Alabama's Turtle Biodiversity. See photos and turtle friends shared on Facebook!
- So far, EPA has awarded 105 Community Change grants, made possible by funding from the Infrastructure Reduction Act. Three of these grants were awarded in Alabama to: Groundswell and the City of Lanett, Texas A&M and the Black Belt Unincorporated Wastewater Program (BBUWP), and Earth Island Institute with the West Anniston Foundation. Read more here.
- The 2025 Legislative Session starts February 4! ARA and our partners will be back in Montgomery throughout the session to #DefendRivers and make sure our elected officials are protecting our drinking water and all of our water resources. Stay tuned to ARA emails and social media throughout the session for bills we support - and those we don't!
- The 2024 Southern Exposure Films are making waves as they appear at film festivals across the globe! Keep up with where they are on our Screenings page.
- ADECA is working with the public and partners to develop Alabama's next Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP). SCORPs allow states to identify their own priorities in how to spend federal funds. This collaborative process will evaluate Alabama's current outdoor recreation offerings and identify priority actions to support the State in effectively managing its valuable assets for the next half-decade through developing clear management directions and funding opportunities at statewide, regional, and local levels. Click here to take the survey.
Please reply to this email or click below to submit newsletter items from your organization. We'd love to share your news with our 100+ partners across the region! |
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| FUNDING | LEARNING | EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES |
| FUNDING OPPORTUNTIES - ONGOING OPPORTUNITY! Alabama Beer Company + ARA's DRIFT Fund for rapid financial assistance, applications open now!
- EPA's Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Grantmaking program, first rolling deadline is January 31.
- Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham Spring 2025 Grant Cycle, proposals due February 7.
- ASRT's Alabama Waterway Enhancement Program has grants up to $5,000 for water recreation & education apply by 3/3.
- Clif Bar Family offers operational support grants, deadline for the Open Call is March 1
- Alabama Audubon opened their 2025-2026 Education MiniGrants program, apply by February 15.
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| Alabama Rivers Alliance
4439 5th Avenue South Suite 1000 | Birmingham, Alabama 35222
205.322.6395 | info@alabamarivers.org |
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