Orange County Coastkeeper Announces its 3-Year Strategic Vision for the Region
- As it celebrates 20 years of water protection, the organization looks to expand its reach in Southern California
- Strategic vision includes plan to formally engage more community members in pollution prevention
WHAT:
As Orange County Coastkeeper celebrates 20 years of protecting the region’s waters, it announces its vision for the next three years. The water watchdog’s 2019 strategic plan outlines five major goals that will grow the organization’s impact to protect more water in Southern California and empower community members to defend clean water.
TOP THREE GOALS:
- Expand Coastkeeper’s reach into the greater Southern California region with the newly created Coachella Valley Waterkeeper – With its new Coachella Valley Waterkeeper program, Coastkeeper will serve as the leading water warrior in the region to help solve Southern California’s clean water problems.
- Educate and inspire more students and community members to strive for clean water that supports the community – By introducing a new, formalized membership program and expanding its existing education program, Coastkeeper will reach more students and community members to become effective clean water advocates and stewards.
- Directly engage in pollution prevention through monitoring, research, restoration, and enforcement actions – As the leading nonprofit organization in the region for identifying pollution sources, Coastkeeper will continue to hold polluters accountable as well as provide funding or resources for activities in Orange County’s watersheds that directly address pollution sources and promote healthy ecosystems through restoration efforts.
To read the full plan, click here.
WHY:
For 20 years, Coastkeeper has served as the region’s last line of defense protecting waterways for generations to come. From being the voice at the table advocating on behalf of the environment in regional policy decisions to mobilizing the community to remove trash from Orange County beaches, Coastkeeper has played a major role in defending clean water in California. Because Coastkeeper cares about clean and abundant water, its expansion of services and reach beyond Orange County is important for the health of the region’s waters.
HISTORY:
Since 1999, Garry Brown, Coastkeeper’s founder and executive director, has advocated for swimmable, drinkable, fishable, and sustainable waters in Orange County. What started as a way to protect the ocean for his family’s future grew into one of the largest environmental organizations in the region. In Coastkeeper’s 20 years, the organization has served as the region’s last line of defense, protecting waterways for generations to come.
QUOTES:
“For two decades, Coastkeeper’s mission has been to improve water quality in Orange County so that our neighbors can enjoy clean, healthy water,” said Garry Brown, Coastkeeper’s founder and executive director, “As our organization expands, it’s imperative that we implement a plan that reflects our vision for the region and continues our fight for clean water.”
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20 YEARS OF ORANGE COUNTY COASTKEEPER: For twenty years, Southern California residents have relied on Orange County Coastkeeper to be their leading voice in protecting clean water. The organization works collaboratively with diverse groups in the public and private sectors to achieve healthy, accessible, and sustainable water resources for the region. Coastkeeper achieves this through innovative, effective programs in education, advocacy, restoration, research, enforcement, and conservation. Coastkeeper is a member of the International Waterkeeper Alliance, which has 236 different independent programs across 29 countries. For more information, visit www.coastkeeper.org or call 714-850-1965.
