PARTNER WINS, COLLABORATION, & GOOD DEEDS IN 2025 We're excited to use this space in our last newsletter of the year to recognize a small selection of awesome partner wins, stories of collaboration, and other good deeds worth celebrating! - Coosa Riverkeeper and Cahaba Riverkeeper collaborated for laboratory space to sample at 81 Swim Guide sites, drove a collective 14,462 miles, and processed more than 1,700 samples. Hundreds of thousands have accessed their results to recreate safer!
- North Alabama Land Trust has been endeavored for two decades to establish "River to the Gap," a continuous conservation corridor from the Tennessee River to Blevins Gap. They recently met their fundraising goal of $300,000 to buy a critical piece connecting this corridor, read more here.
- A judge dismissed a lawsuit against two small, historic Alabama churches and a pastor that attempted to punish them for exercising their right to oppose a highly disruptive quarry in their community of Belle Mina. Congratulations to SELC for representing them in this frivolous SLAPP suit! Read here for more.
- Alabama Arise celebrated three bill signing ceremonies with Governor Ivey this summer after several hard-earned legislative victories in the 2025 session. These laws include the removal of the "pink tax" on baby-related items, a reduction of state grocery tax from 3% to 2%, and the RAISE Act, which reformed Alabama's education funding formula. Read more here.
- Black Warrior Riverkeeper has distributed the 2024 Southern Exposure Films on DVD to more than 50 local libraries! Each year since 2018, Black Warrior Riverkeeper delivers the latest Southern Exposure Films to every public library in the 17-county watershed and they are available for free for any community member!
- We are proud to announce that since launching, the DRIFT Fund has raised $13,239, and has donated $10,988 to nine organizations across the state, including Friends of Shades Creek, BlackBelt Women Rising, Huntsville Environmental Coalition, Village Creek Society and more!
- Energy Alabama embarked on a major educational campaign, further educating Alabamians about how the Public Service Commission sets rates and more. Their messaging is working - people are asking questions and demanding better from Alabama Power!
- The Alabama Aquatic Biodiversity Center and Dr. Paul Johnson's team were recognized with a Conservation Partner Award by the US Fish and Wildlife Service's Regional Director's Honor Awards 2023-2024! Click here to read the full booklet of honors.
- The Friends of Shades Creek advocated to protect the vernal pools of the spotted salamander in Homewood, against a proposed development from Samford University. Earlier this year, the development was halted and the salamander's habitat was saved! This has led to a renewed interest in protecting the breeding grounds for this special salamander. Watch SALABAMA to learn more (and to see Alabama's salamanders like you've never seen them before!)
- In the face of rapid development of data centers across Alabama and the southeast, ARA and other partners across the region such as SELC, GASP, SCEN, People's Justice Council, NAACP, Energy Alabama and more are working together to help the impacted communities organize and advocate for their water, land and air.
- Speaking of collaborative coalitions in 2025, ARA, SELC, BlackBelt Women Rising, Senator Robert Stewart, and more, in collaboration with the Center for Oil and Gas Organizing, worked with communities directly in the line of the SSE4 pipeline to get comments filed to FERC about the proposed expansion. Read more here.
- Alabama Water Watch was honored with the 2025 Gulf Coast Marine Environmental Leadership Award given by the Dauphin Island Sea Lab Foundation. Read more about their work in Coastal Alabama and the award here.
- Huntsville Environmental Coalition (HEC) was selected by the Community Foundation of Huntsville for their impact on Huntsville, and in adding together the funds donated by the community plus the pro rata match, HEC was been awarded $6,595.32 from the Share Your Story 2025 grant process! Watch their story of impact here.
- Black Warrior Riverkeeper, Hurricane Creekkeeper and SELC signed a settlement agreement with the city of Tuscaloosa and ADEM to address the city’s chronic sewage spills and Clean Water Act permit violations. In the agreement, Tuscaloosa promises to reduce its sewage spills and provide more robust public notice of these spills, including signs posted by impacted waterways and recreation areas and more.
- Over 200 water athletes, including members of Team USA, urge Congress to make historic investments in the Clean Water State Revolving Fund that's used for wastewater, stormwater, runoff, and septic pollution. Review the letter here.
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