Given the jurisdictional complexity of the watershed, change on the order of magnitude required will not be easy. But there’s always a tipping point. Remember, your government representatives work for you, and an informed, engaged and vocal constituency is a powerful force.Residents should demand that elected officials work in watershed-friendly ways to do the following:
- Recognize and acknowledge the importance of the watershed to our local water supply.
- Expand the use of pervious surfaces throughout the watershed to enhance the capture, infiltration, and natural storage of water.
- Limit development in historic floodplain areas.
- Require that all new and re-development produce a net increase in park space.
- Expand and improve access to watershed-friendly parks and open space.
- Expand public transit options and refine the concept of a transit corridor.
- Create walkable, bikeable communities.
- Provide incentives for watershed-friendly residential landscapes.
- Enact a strong plastic bag ordinance.
Significant social change comes from the bottom-up, from an aroused opinion that forces our ruling institutions to do the right thing. - Senator Paul Wellstone