The U.S. River Conservation Team:

How It Works

Here is the way for you to protect natural rivers, get help doing it, and get rewarded for your work! The U.S. River Conservation Team consists of people like you, around the nation, who are conserving rivers they care about. You get guidance and river gear for doing any of these things:

• Save a river from damming or diversions.
• Re-open a river to boating and other non-destructive visits.
• Clean up a river, on your own or as part of a group.
• Restore a river, by removing man-made objects and restoring wildlife habitat.
• Monitor a river for pollution, dumping, or bulldozing violations.
• Make yourself clear. Follow up with decision makers, to get the problem solved.
• Go in person. Visit decision makers to clarify your concerns.
• Add more people to the system. Show them how to get involved.
• Follow the spirit. Do other things of your choice that help river conservation and access.

You pick whichever activities suit your talents and interests. You can do much of this in your own place, at whatever time is convenient for you. When you do these things to protect and restore rivers, you will get suggestions and support from the staff of the National Organization for Rivers, who have been working on river issues for many years. You will also get your choice of rewards from the river equipment manufacturers who sponsor this system. You'll enjoy using these rewards when you visit rivers.

We know that you would do things to protect rivers even without a material reward, that the real motivation comes from your heart. That will always be the most important thing. But we want to coordinate with you. We, the directors and staff of the National Organization for Rivers, as well as the manufacturers on these pages, want to help you be as effective as possible. We want you to benefit from the experience of other people with interests similar to yours. And we want to recognize, reward, and encourage your work.

Federal courts have ruled that rivers that are physically navigable, even by small craft, are legally navigable and are "held in trust for the public," for navigation, recreation, and fisheries, by the states. They are public land up to the "ordinary high water mark." But you would never know it from looking at the way many rivers are treated in actual practice.

The goal of the U.S. River Conservation Team is to create a network of river guardians who have the knowledge, the relationships, and the motivation to apply those court decisions in real life. We want to empower you to help protect and enjoy thousand of miles of rivers and thousands of acres of land along rivers.

Imagine the power this system can have in shaping a better future for our rivers. It's exciting! So let's get started. Do your choice of things on the following pages, and let us know what you are doing. We look forward to hearing from you, to helping you, and to giving you the reward of your choice!

Overview:

You do any of the above things, and you send NORS something that shows what you did, such as a copy of the letter you wrote to your Congressman, or before-and-after photos of the river cleanup you did, or newspaper clippings.

NORS staff will look at what you did, award one or more points for each thing you did, and add it to your permanent River Points Record in the computer, then send you back an updated print-out showing your total points accumulated. (See sample print-out below.) With the print-out, NORS staff will include comments and suggestions on how you can be more effective and successful, or on what the law says about the river issue you are working on.

You then redeem your points, at any time, for the items of your choice from this catalog, by sending or phoning your order to NORS. NORS will send you the item, (or have it sent direct to you from the manufacturer,) and send you an updated print-out showing your order and your remaining points. You can continue to accumulate and hold points, and redeem them for additional items at any time.

Specifics:

Save a river:

Save a river from damming, de-watering diversions, and other river-killing projects. Articles in CURRENTS, NORS river alerts, and other river publications explain these threats to rivers, and at the end of these articles there is usually a "What you can do" section showing who is responsible for the dam or other project and how you can help save the river. Also see the River Registry section of this web site. Take whatever action the article, news item, or alert suggests, or modify it as appropriate to the circumstances. This often involves writing a letter to your Congressman, state legislator, or other official. In some cases you should call government offices first, to verify the status of the issue and briefly mention your concerns about it.

Send NORS a copy of your letter, or e-mail it. NORS staff will read your letter, add it to your permanent River Points Record in the computer, and send you back an updated print-out showing your actions and your accumulated points to date, along with suggestions on how you can be more effective.

You'll get a point for each letter, of average length, that you write. A particularly complete letter that shows research will receive two or more points. A brief letter to the effect that you support or oppose something will receive half a point. If you send copies of your letters to additional officials, (such as to your two Senators as well as your Representative,) you will receive an additional half point.

You can send letters as a concerned citizen, as a company owner, as a NORS member, or as a member of other local, state, or national river saving organizations.

After sending your letter, follow up with the government officials by phone. Make hand-written notes from your phone conversation on a sheet of notebook paper. Show the main things that you said and they said, and send it to NORS. You will receive a half point for a short phone conversation, and a point for a more complete one.

Send the government officials, and NORS, copies of any relevant newspaper clippings, especially if you are mentioned.

To better understand how river law relates to river issues that concern you, see the section on River Law: Who Owns the Rivers? Also see How to Apply River Law to River Access and Conservation Issues.

Re-open a river:

Where a landowner prohibits you from running a river that is navigable in canoes, kayaks, or rafts, or from fishing or walking along the shore, or you see fences or "no trespassing" signs across such a river, write or call the State Lands Office and the State Attorney General’s Office--Natural Resources Department, asking them to contact the landowner and local sheriff, to reaffirm the public's right to navigate the river and visit the shore up to the ordinary high water line.

Send a copy of your letter, (or notes from your phone conversations,) to NORS staff, who will add it to your permanent River Points Record and send you back a print-out, plus suggestions on navigability law and public-trust ownership of rivers. You'll get a point for each letter you write or other significant step you take in the process. For further information on recognizing which rivers are navigable, click here to go to River Law: Who Owns the Rivers?

Where a local sheriff or government agency is prohibiting or restricting access to a navigable river, follow the same procedure, realizing that solving the problem will take more time and communication between the State Lands Office, State Attorney General's Office, and the government agency. Discuss the issue and the law, in general terms, with reporters, and send clippings of any resulting news articles to the government officials, and to NORS. If the problem is an unduly restrictive river permit system on a river that flows through federal land, the solution will require a persistent diplomatic effort involving both federal and state officials. You will get one or more points for each step you take in the process. To sort out what things government agencies can and cannot do on navigable rivers, click here to go to River Law: Who Owns the Rivers? Also see the section on How to Apply River Law to River Access and Conservation Issues.

Clean up a river:

Collect junk along a river: Bottles, cans, old shoes, tires, and other debris. Do this on your own, any time, in the course of a river trip, or as part of an organized group. Take photos that show examples of where along the river the junk was when you found it, and of yourself with the total junk that you personally collected, when you are done. Send some of the photos to NORS. You will receive one or more points, reflecting the amount collected.

If you do this as a member of an organized group, list only what you did yourself. If you are a group organizer, you can send group photos of the junk collected, any newspaper clippings that resulted from the event, and a list showing each person's name, address, and what he or she did. NORS will send each person a print-out showing his or her points, plus any comments or suggestions. (People who are not NORS members will still accumulate points and receive a print-out, although they need to join to redeem their points. They can redeem points that they earned up to two years before they joined.)

For information on how to organize a river cleanup yourself, click here to go to River Cleanups.

Restore a river:

Help restore wildlife habitat, remove junked cars or concrete debris, or do other things that restore a river to a more natural condition. (Check with local government where necessary.) Participate in a project that is already organized, or do one yourself. Send before-and-after photos of the river, and also of the work in progress. You’ll get several points to reflect the size of the project. If there are several people involved, the organizer can send NORS a list of their names, addresses, and what they did. They will each receive points and a print-out, along with any comments or suggestions, as explained above.

Monitor a river:

Find unlawful pollution, dumping, or dredge-and-fill violations (bulldozers unlawfully damaging the bed or banks of the river.) Take photos or water tests that show the problem. Then make phone calls to find the appropriate government enforcement agency to notify. Send a letter to the agency asking them to stop the problem. Send a copy of your letter and phone conversation notes, and photos or water tests showing the problem, to NORS. You will receive one or more points for the initial letter, and additional points for follow-up letters and phone conversations. If the problem persists, you can contact politicians and reporters, and get points for that as well. If any news articles result, send copies to the politicians, and to NORS.

Rivers are supposed to be “held in trust for the public.” Make sure they are! For more information on river law, and government agency responsibility for river protection, click here to go to River Law: Who Owns the Rivers? Also see the section on How to Apply River Law to River Access and Conservation Issues.

Make yourself clear:

If you contact a Congressman, state legislator, or government agency to save a river or re-open a river, and you get back a reply that doesn’t really say much or make a commitment, send them a second letter answering any misconceptions they may have, and asking them to solve the problem. If legal issues are involved, send them whatever additional information helps explain the law (from this web site, Attorney General opinions, court cases, law journal articles, a letter from an attorney, etc.) This kind of follow-up is critical! Send NORS a copy of their letter, and your letter. You will receive one or more points for each follow-up, along with any further NORS suggestions on how to solve the problem.

Go in person:

On important river issues, arrange a meeting with your Congressman or government official in person. This could include several other river enthusiasts from your area (such as other members of your club or association.) Ask him to take definite action to solve the problem. Talk in a general way about your understanding of the legal issues involved, mentioning the Public Trust Doctrine and the need to protect rivers that are navigable in canoes, kayaks, and rafts, and keep them open for resposible recreation.

Get a photo of yourself with the official. Send NORS a copy of the photo and hand-written notes about who said what at the meeting, and what the conclusion was. You’ll receive two or more points, influenced by the results of the meeting and the importance of the official.

If the meeting includes several river enthusiasts, one person can send NORS a list of their names and addresses, and NORS will send each of them a points print-out, as explained above.

Add more people to the system:

Enroll more people as participants in this system and members of NORS. You can enroll people any time, anywhere. NORS staff will send them all the information they need to get going. Either collect their sign-ups and send them in yourself, or give them a sign-up form with your name written or stamped in the box titled “I got this from,” and let them send it in. You’ll receive a point for each person who signs up, and additional points for each additional year. Your print-out will show you who signed up, so you can check it for completeness, and with it there will be an additional batch of NORS folders, as well as any comments or suggestions on ways to enroll people. Sign-ups can be on printed NORS folders, photocopies, faxes, ordinary notebook paper, by e-mail through this web site, or by phone. You can send several sign-ups together in one batch.

You can sign up anyone—not just dedicated river users. You can sign up people at home or at work, and at a river put-ins and take-outs, at club meetings, slide shows, and parties. At races and river festivals, you can circulate among the participants, or have a table or booth. At your store or business, you can display the folders on the counter, with your name stamped in the little box, so interested customers can take one.

Follow the spirit:

Do other things that fit with your talents and interests, and that follow the spirit of this program, by helping to protect natural rivers and ensure public access to rivers for responsible recreation, and by getting more people educated and involved in this process. A particular river may have a problem or opportunity that does not fit neatly into the above categories. If you have a question about the appropriateness of something you plan to do, e-mail or call NORS staff.

Important notes:

Redeeming your points:

Each time you send in anything to earn river points, you will get back an updated print-out of your total river points record to date, like the sample shown below. When you have enough points for an item you want, simply e-mail, mail, or phone your order to NORS. You can use the Order Form included in this section. You can redeem any portion of your points for an item, and continue to hold the rest of them towards another item, even for several years. (The items shown in this catalog will be available for at least two years. Every effort will be made to maintain and expand the selection of items in future editions of the catalog. Even if a particular item is no longer shown in a future edition, every effort will be made to continue to have it available on request.

Letters and photos:

NORS will normally keep on file the copies of letters, phone notes, photos, and news clippings that you send in, for purposes such as showing sponsors what is being done in this system. Since making copies of photo prints would be an extra chore for you, it’s easier if you simply take more than one photo, of whatever it is, in the first place. Send NORS some of the photos, and keep a similar set for yourself. Ordinary color prints, developed at the supermarket, are fine. Digital pictures are also good. Slides are much less convenient but still okay. Outstanding letters or photos may appear in NORS publications to help show what is being done in this system.

What qualifies for points:

NORS staff will evaluate each letter you send and each project you report, and assign the appropriate points according to the above guidelines. The goal of this system is to produce results that actually protect rivers and ensure public access to rivers, not just to generate points by random activity. If you do river clean-ups or restoration projects, focus on one or two river stretches and maintain them in good condition. If you write letters and contact officials, pick one or two river issues that interest you, and keep working on them over a period of time to get the problem solved. More points will be assigned for this kind of sustained approach. Don't just write a letter about every river issue you hear about and then move on.

Do not try to mass-produce points, such as by e-mailing a letter to hundreds of Congressmen. This would not be effective, and it will not earn a big batch of points. When writing to Congress, write to your own Representative and your two Senators, and perhaps to the chairman of the Congressional Committee in question. Take a similar approach with issues involving your state legislature or various government agencies: Contact three or four officials, and develop an on-going dialog with them, rather than sending one letter to a large number of officials.

Note that many Congressmen and other officials do not have e-mail addresses. Even if they do, fax or regular-mail them your letter in addition to e-mailing it. NORS staff will try to follow up directly with the officials you contact, to help support your efforts and expand upon them. So make sure the Congressman or official did receive your letter. (The copy of your letter that you send to NORS can just be e-mailed.

Types of projects:

You will receive points when you take action as suggested by NORS, as well as by other national, state, and local organizations involved in protecting natural rivers and public access for responsible recreation. In order to keep this system focused, please note these parameters:

Regarding river conservation, points will be awarded for things that help protect natural river features, such as natural waterflow, vegetation, wildlife, and geologic features. But points will not be awarded for advocating or working on man-made facilities, such as launching ramps, parking areas, restrooms, and picnic areas, even though these things are needed on some rivers.

Regarding river access, points will be awarded for advocating public access for individuals and small groups, in unobtrusive, non-consumptive ways, such as paddling or rowing down the river, walking along the shore, fly-fishing, and similar responsible recreation. But points will not be awarded for advocating visits by large groups, commercial groups, public events, large watercraft, motorized watercraft, or things linked to personal gain. (Again, these things have their place, but this system is focused on unobtrusive visits by small groups.) If you have a question about the appropriateness of something you plan to do, contact NORS staff.

This system is for volunteer projects, not for things you get paid for, or for which you already received something of value. (Except token items. If you got a t-shirt for participating in a river clean-up, you can still get points for it.)

This system is for things you do from now on, not for things you did in the past, so do not send old materials.

Points must go to the person who did the work. You can't give your points to someone else, or group several people's points together to redeem them for an item. (Except that since NORS memberships are per household, you can work together with your spouse and children to accumulate and redeem points.)

Group projects: As mentioned above, if you participate in a project as a member of an organized group, show only what you did yourself. If you are a group organizer, you can send NORS a list showing each person's name, address, and what he or she did. NORS staff will send each person a print-out showing his or her points. People who are not NORS members will still accumulate points and receive a print-out, although they need to join to redeem their points. They can redeem points that they earned up to two years before they joined.

Questions? You can call NORS staff to discuss your questions about this system and about the river issues that interest you. Or you can simply send your items, and NORS staff will send you comments and suggestions along with a print-out of your River Points Record.

At present you do not need to apply to join the team and start accumulating your points. You simply send in your first item, and NORS staff will add you to the team and start a permanent River Points Record for you in the computer. In the future, an application may be required to get started.

So start getting your river points now. Use this system to help preserve your river heritage, and to get equipment that will help you enjoy river recreation!

Sample print-out:

Each time you do any of the things shown above, NORS staff will add it to your permanent River Points Record, and send you back an updated print-out like this FICTITIOUS SAMPLE:

THE U.S. RIVER CONSERVATION TEAM

YOUR RIVER POINTS RECORD: (This one is a FICTITIOUS SAMPLE.)

Thomas Smith
123 Oak Hill Drive
Golden Grove, MA 12123

(123) 456-7899 home. (123) 456-1122 work. (123) 456-1100 fax. tsmith@rmi.net

September 15, 1998.

THANK YOU for your work to protect natural rivers and the public's legal rights to visit rivers. Here is an update showing your actions and River Points accumulated:

End of report to date. Thank you for your participation.

• To see the items you can earn with your River Points, click here to go to the River Conservation Catalog.
• To report your river conservation actions and get River Points, go to the River Points Report Form.

The U.S. River Conservation Team is made possible by the generosity of the members of the National Organization for Rivers (NORS) and by the manufacturers shown on these pages. To help the team thrive, start or extend your membership by going to NORS memberships. Thank you for your support!

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The National Organization for Rivers
212 West Cheyenne Mountain Boulevard
Colorado Springs, CO 80906
(719) 579-8759. Fax: (719) 576-6238.
nationalrivers@email.msn.com

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