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Public Encouraged To Vote For The Delaware River As Pennsylvania's 2011 River Of The Year

For Immediate Release

December 17, 2010

(WEST TRENTON, N.J.) -- The Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) and the Delaware Sojourn Steering Committee today reminded the public that it has until January 3, 2011 to vote on-line for the Delaware River as Pennsylvania’s River of the Year.

Bestowed annually on a Commonwealth river by the Pennsylvania Organization for Watersheds and Rivers and the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, this honor helps raise awareness about the significance of rivers, their conservation needs, and their recreational and economic impact on watershed communities.

Visit www.surveymonkey.com/s/9YM8TSK to view the nomination statements for each of the six finalists and vote; information can also be found at www.dcnr.state.pa.us and www.drbc.net. This is the first time that the winning river, to be announced in January, will be chosen by the public. Over 100 nominations were originally submitted for 21 waterways. Individuals do not have to be from Pennsylvania in order to vote. 

“The Delaware River is extremely important to Pennsylvania and the entire Mid-Atlantic region for its unparalleled water resources, robust recreational offerings, and fundamental role in our nation’s history,” said Carol R. Collier, DRBC Executive Director and past chair of the Sojourn Steering Committee.

If chosen as the 2011 River of the Year, in addition to planning the 17th Delaware River Sojourn, DRBC and the Delaware Sojourn Steering Committee will work with a variety of other partners throughout the watershed to coordinate a series of events that will promote awareness of, stewardship for, and communities’ connections to the Delaware, as well as celebrate DRBC’s 50th anniversary milestone.

The Delaware Sojourn Steering Committee is comprised of agencies, organizations, and individual volunteers who work together to organize the annual event. Scheduled to take place June 19-25, 2011, the sojourn combines paddling, camping, and educational programming in order to encourage appreciation of and pride in this vital and precious resource. Details can be found at www.delawareriversojourn.org as they become available. 

The DRBC was formed in 1961 through compact legislation signed into law by President John F. Kennedy and the governors of the four basin states (Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania), marking the first time in our nation’s history that the federal government and a group of states joined together as equal partners to oversee a unified approach to managing a river system without regard to political boundaries.

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Contact: Kate O'Hara, DRBC, 609-883-9500 ext. 205, katharine.o'hara@drbc.state.nj.us

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