This summer, the Great Miami River is seeing more paddlers, cleanups and citizen activity than ever before.  This is in large part thanks to the volunteer stream stewards who are the heart and soul of our Adopt-a-Stream program.  The program started in 2008 after an inventory of the programs on the region's watersheds pointed to a need for the development of an engaged layer of citizen stewardship on many rivers and streams.  Rivers Unlimited started the program in the Great Miami Watershed in an effort to spur citizen action on a waterway that has long been neglected, and has gone underutilized as the natural and recreational asset that it is.
 
     Starting in 2008, a number of businesses, groups and individuals began to come forward to take on the responsibility for the care of a specific stretch of the lower Great Miami River.  Participating groups commit to completing cleanups each season, and also to serving as the "eyes and ears" of their stretch of river or stream.  They are not alone in this endeavor.  Besides ongoing logistical support, Rivers Unlimited provides training at its yearly Stream Stewards' Conference, and distributes copies of its Stream Steward's Guide to all participants, as well as to thousands of citizens living along or near the watershed.  
 
     This summer, the program has truly taken off.  Cleanups are occurring on many weekend days throughout the summer and fall, and we are hardly able to keep up with the hundreds of pounds of trash (and dozens of tires) now being taken out of the river.  Most importantly, dozens of new stewards are having positive experiences on the Great Miami.  One of the goals of the program is to foster lifelong connections with our rivers and streams.  Sometimes all it takes is getting people on the water that first time!
 
     This spring, Rivers Unlimited received a grant from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Watercraft that allowed us to purchase 8 Old Town Canoes, a trailer, and plenty of lifejackets and paddles.  This equipment is now available for Adopt-a-Stream participants who need boats to complete their cleanups, adding to the enjoyment and effectiveness of their efforts.
 
     Of course, we couldn't be doing this without the help of our friends Misty and Andy Duff at GMR Riversports.  Besides allowing RU to store our equipment at their livery, the Duffs have put in countless hours on the program's behalf, doing everything from hauling boats to helping with the disposal of tires.  And then there's the several miles of river that they have adopted.
 
     In 2009, it is our plan to expand the scope of the program by bringing it to additional watersheds.  If you or someone you know has an interest in participating, call Rivers Unlimited at (513)761-4003 or email us at info@riversunlimited.org.

     
      As you probably know, the last few months have been an uncertain time for Ohio's Scenic Rivers program.  Even in the last week before a budget was passed, there was a realistic chance that the program would lose all funding except that which is generated by Scenic Rivers license plates.  License plate funds amount to only about $70,000 per year, roughly 10% of the program's operating budget.  With no other support, the program would have lost its program manager and the four regional staff members who make sure that the ScenicRiver qualifying criteria continue to be met on the 800 stream miles in the system.  Also, preparatory work for two designations in-process (the Mad and VermillionRivers) would have ceased.  It was not clear if or how the designations for the fourteen rivers in the system would be maintained.  The prospect of the oldest Scenic Rivers program in the nation- predating even the national equivalent- oing out of business was very real.

     The history of the Scenic Rivers Program and Rivers Unlimited have been closely intertwined since RU was founded in 1972, and cofounder Mike Fremont remains one of the most ardent advocates of the program.  Therefore RU had been following this issue closely since last autumn, when Director Sean Logan of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) announced the intent to move the Scenic Rivers Program from the Division of Natural Areas & Preserves (DNAP) to the Division of Watercraft.  Because it relies on state income tax revenue, known as the General Revenue Fund, economic conditions forced consideration of alternative funding.  The Div. of Watercraft is financed largely by boat registrations and the fraction of Ohio's gasoline tax attributable to marine sales, and the Director reasoned that this Division would be a suitable new home for the program because of its growing kayak and canoe constituency.  These boaters are some of the primary beneficiaries of the Scenic Rivers program.

     From the beginning, RU had serious misgivings about moving the program from its conservation-oriented home to an unabashedly recreation-oriented agency.  So did Little Miami Incorporated and the Ohio Environmental Council, among others.  And so, ironically, did the power boating community, which is the dominant constituency of the Division of Watercraft.  This group, as represented by the Boaters Association of Ohio, the Lake Erie Marine Trades Association, and the Southern Ohio Marine Trades Association, objected strenuously to the proposed transfer because of a lack of overlap between respective missions and the potential for the Scenic Rivers program to divert funds from primary priorities such as marina facilities, boating law enforcement, and navigational aids.

     Over the fall, winter, and spring, RU worked with many representatives of entities with an interest in the resolution of this issue.  These included ODNR Director Logan, Chief Steve Maurer of DNAP, Chief Pam Dillon of Watercraft, and Governor Strickland's Southwest Regional Representative, Brewster Rhoads.  They also included officers and executive staff of the aforementioned boating organizations.  When the proposed transfer became the subject of debate in the legislature, RU went to work at the State House and met with several Representatives, Senators, and staffers working to influence the Scenic Rivers transfer provision in the state budget.  Eventually this included testimony before the Senate Finance Committee.  RU's position ultimately was that the first priority was to save the program, and the second priority was to keep it in DNAP.

     Thanks in no small part to the letters, calls and emails generated by many of you in response to our calls to action as this process unfolded - and we heard about the effect they were having from the people you contacted - Ohio's Legislature eventually passed a budget in which the Scenic Rivers program was indeed transferred to the Div. of Watercraft, with full funding.   
 
     Now that the program is secure, we will begin monitoring its fortunes in its new home.  Ohio needs for this program to maintain its conservation focus, and to accelerate the process of evaluating the remaining 1,100 miles of streams deemed worthy of consideration for ScenicRiver status in the original 1970's inventory.  Too many of Ohio's rivers and streams- and their surrounding communities- have not yet realized their full economic and natural potential, and could benefit greatly from designation.  And with state designation comes the possibility of national designation.
 
      Furthermore, the ODNR's Division of Natural Areas and Preserves (DNAP), a division with a strong conservation mission, is in peril.  The budget continues its funding for only one more year - the second year of the biennial budget has $0 allocated for this Division.  Plans are already underway in Ohio's conservation community to prevent DNAP's demise, and RU is a participant. Stay tuned for updates on what RU and other organizations are doing, and for ways you can make your own voice heard on the matter.

     Thanks to a grant from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Rivers Unlimited is now offering paddling clinics, which are perfect for anybody interested in the basics of the safe and enjoyable use of canoes.  The clinic, which is taught at Miami Whitewater Park by American Canoe Association-certified instructors, covers everything you will need to know in order to become a safe and self-reliant paddler, and gives participants a chance to put their skills to use on the lake.  Canoes and all other equipment provided. The next class is Saturday, September 12.  Please visit www.riversunlimited.org for more details.
 

Celebrate the end of the summer with a beach party at GMR Riversports.  $10 pays for food, drinks, games and a very good time at the only livery on the lower Great Miami River.  For more information, call GMR Riversports at (513)907-4301.

Catch up with old friends and make a few new ones at the 3rd Annual Fremont Cup.  We'll be paddling on the Great Miami this year, to spotlight the great work of our Adopt-a-Stream volunteers and the Friends of the Great Miami, and to honor the contributions of Mike Fremont to the restoration and conservation of this great Ohio waterway.  For more information, visit www.riversunlimited.org.

Rivers Unlimited's Volunteer Committee is an ideal way for river enthusiasts of all backgrounds to come together to work towards the promotion and protection of our rivers and streams.   Committee members take on a variety of roles, from helping to plan events, to helping out with the Adopt-a-Stream program or attending public hearings that concern water quality.  No matter what your level of experience is, we will find a way to get you involved!  Our next meeting is Wednesday, August 26th at 6:30 PM at our office on Chase Ave in the Northside neighborhood of Cincinnati.
 

In its second year in existence, the Whispering Beard Folk Festival in Morning View Kentucky will take place along the banks of the Licking River.  This year, Rivers Unlimited is partnering with the festival to help bring the Adopt-a-Stream program to the Licking River.  Though Rivers Unlimited will always be Ohio's River Protection Organization, we are also aware that rivers and streams don't pay attention to the political borders created by humans.  Though the Licking River flows through Kentucky, its waters end up in the Ohio River, just like many of the other rivers on which we focus. 
 
The festival takes places Aug. 28-30th and more information can be found at whisperingbeard.com.  Camping is available, and featured acts include Peter Rowan (Aug. 29) and the Hackensaw Boys (Aug. 28).   
 

For more information, please see "Learn to Canoe with RU" article.