Nearly 40 organizations unite for the “endangered” Mississippi River

New Orleans, LA – Nearly 40 organizations representing all ten states that the Mississippi River flows through are gathering in New Orleans, LA this week as part of the Mississippi River Network’s (MRN) Annual Meeting. This is the first in-person gathering of the Network since 2019 and comes after the Mississippi River was listed as one of 2022’s Most Endangered Rivers®. 

MRN’s three-day annual meeting will cover work on policy priorities as well as public outreach and engagement through the Network’s 1 Mississippi program. The group made several announcements as part of its annual meeting. 

• MRN announced that the 2023 River Days of Action – a basinwide event to celebrate the River and its communities – will take place on June 8-18, 2023. Over 20 organizations are expected to participate. 

• MRN announced “River Days of Giving,” a joint fundraising event that will include interested Network member organizations.   

• MRN renewed its commitment to a basinwide strategy for the River, including through federal strategies such as the Mississippi River Restoration and Resilience Initiative

• Local MRN member the Louisiana Bucket Brigade announced their “Down by the River Bike Rides” beginning October 19 where attendees will hear from local activists and see firsthand how petrochemical industries have impacted our river communities. Tickets for the event here. 

“As an MRN Member, the annual meeting is an opportunity for me to connect and synergize with other people and organizations working on Mississippi River issues,” says Jessica Dandridge Executive Director of the Water Collaborative based out of New Orleans. “What happens in one part of the Mississippi River has an impact on all of us, and MRN creates the space for all of us to come together.” 

“It will take all of our strengths and interests as people and organizations to protect and restore our Mississippi River,” says Mark “River” Peoples from Quapaw Canoe Company based out of Clarksdale, MS. “Whether you are a poet or a policymaker, the solutions to our water and river issues will take as much creativity and diversity as the River itself.” 

“We have an opportunity to direct increases in federal spending on river restoration and conservation to the river communities that need it most and the projects that will have the most impact on our River’s health,” says Kelly McGinnis, the Executive Director of the Mississippi River Network. 

The Network will develop shared strategies for major pieces of legislation impacting the Mississippi River such as the Farm Bill, the Mississippi River Restoration and Resilience Initiative, and opportunities for state-based river restoration funding via the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. 

“Being part of the Mississippi River Network gives my organization the ability to stay up to date on federal policies and inform their implementation in Iowa,” says Brian Campbell, Executive Director of the Iowa Environmental Council. “As a state-based organization working with local communities, we are excited about the increased federal funding for river conservation in the next few years.”

MRN’s 2022 Annual Meeting will conclude the afternoon of Thursday, October 13. For more information please reach out to Maisah Khan at mkhan@1mississippi.org 

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About the Mississippi River Network (MRN) and its 1 Mississippi Program

MRN is a coalition of over 60 organizations dedicated to creating a healthier Mississippi River by working for the well-being of the people, land, water, and wildlife of America’s largest watershed. One of the ways the Network advances its goal of a healthier Mississippi River is through its 1 Mississippi program – the only public outreach program of its kind for the Mississippi River. Learn more about MRN at https://mississippiriver.org/ 

About Louisiana Bucket Brigade (LABB) and its Down by the River Bike Ride 

The Louisiana Bucket Brigade (LABB) is an environmental justice nonprofit that directly collaborates with fenceline communities in Louisiana in order to hasten a just transition from extractive, polluting industries. Their Down by the Rive Bike Ride offers attendees an opportunity to learn how one of the last stretches of the Mississippi came to be called ‘Cancer Alley,’ with plantation slavery paving the way for the petrochemical industry of today. Yet resistance towards these forms of extraction has always existed. Ride with the Bucket Brigade on the levee alongside the river. Hear stories from grassroots activists on the frontlines and be inspired today. Tickets for the event are here: https://labucketbrigade.salsalabs.org/downbytheriver/index.html