Here are a couple of tips if you decide to schedule and lead a clean up: Take a small section of less then 5 miles so you don’t overload yourself and burn out your helpersFigure out how to handle the trash once you get it to the takeout.  Many counties, cities,...

Fellow paddlers: This is a rebroadcast of a message I sent a couple of months ago, plus a little more. The first little more is to tell you that GCA now has 44 email contacts of record with the Georgia Envionmental Action Network (GEAN). We need 50 to be a fully accredited voting member of GEAN. Please read below the importance of us becoming voting members. Please read below that relevant minutes from the
GEAN Steering Committee meeting I attended on Tuesday in Atlanta. Can six of you please belly up to the bar, log on to www.protectgeorgia.net and provide GEAN with the information they need so I can vote at the next meeting on behalf of the paddling community on these political issues that are so vital to us.

www.protectgeorgia.net

Dan MacIntyre 

Fellow Paddlers: We have an opportunity for the paddling community to obtain a seat a a very important table. We need your help to do that. A principal communication mechanism for the environmental community in Georgia is the Georgia Environmental Action Network (GEAN). GEAN has developed an utilizes very effectively a powerful communications tool. They will send to anyone who subscribes to their service an email alert when an important environmental issue is being decided and your input is needed. The email will include a briefing on the issue and the decision that is about to be made. The email will also include a template of an email you can send to support the pro-environment side of the issue.

The magic of this communications mechanism is twofold. First, you can edit the proposed communication in any manner you wish, or delete it entirety and compose your own email from scratch. Secondly and uniquely, GEAN will deliver your email to exactly the person or persons who need to receive it. Since the receiving person will often be your state Senator or Representative, you will need to give GEAN your home address so they can identify who your senator and representative are. Obviously GEAN must also have your email address. GEAN is managed by a steering committee made up or one representative from each member organization. It is this steering committee that determines what issues will be the subject of emails and prepares the briefing on the issue and the proposed communication to the decision maker(s). The Georgia Canoeing Association has been selected to become a member of GEAN and provide a representative to the steering committee. To qualify for this membership, at least 50 individuals must sign up to receive the environmental alert email and identify themselves as members or friends of GCA.

 If you are not currently a GEAN subscriber, you need to go to www.protectgeorgia.net. Click on the “sign up” tab and fill in the blanks in accordance with the easy to follow instructions. When you get to the second page of the form, you will find a section titled “I am a member or friend of” with a list of organizations below. Scroll down and check GCA. (You can also check other organizations if you wish.)

Having done that, continue to follow the directions. You will then become a recipient of the GEAN email alerts and will have this communication mechanism through which to make your views know to the critical decision maker(s) on the issue at hand. You will also have helped GCA be one person closer to having a seat at the table where it is decided what issues are to be the subject of alerts, how those issues will be briefed and what initial proposed message will be prepared. If you are already receiving GEAN alerts, you need to go to www.protectgeorgia.net and log in. and click the link that says “update profile”. Then go to the second page and click on GCA in the “I am a member or Friend” list. GCA will now get credit for you in its drive toward the 50 participants needed for full voting membership.
 
Please help our club and the environment of our state by joining the GEAN alert system. If you have any questions or concerns, I would be glad to discuss them with you by email or telephone.
 
Dan MacIntyre

We were talking tonight about how the name of a rapid on the Cartercay has changed names for some strange reason. I have been running this river since 1976 - in fact my ex-husband's family owned all the land on both sides of the river at the covered bridge - actually...