Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Yuletide Greetings!

Are you looking for a non-profit for your year end giving, or a gift for that hard to buy for person? WWALS is a 501(c)(3) and your donations are 100% tax deductible. I invite you to become a member today or make an additional year end gift. Your gift helps us achieve our mission:

/donations/
PO Box 88, Hahira, GA 31632

Organizations can donate to WWALS, too, as many have, in this very busy year of 2015 for WWALS:

• Published the Alapaha River Water Trail all-in-one brochure, map, and card, distributed 5,000 copies, and are preparing to republish. Thanks to the Valdosta-Lowndes County, GA Tourism Authority and the Hamilton County, FL Tourist Development Council for their financial contributions to the ARWT, and to Georgia River Network for the original grant. Thanks to all the businesses and individuals who contributed prizes to the ARWT logo contest, including Wild Adventures, Jasper Hardware, and Hometown Handyman, as well as to the organizations that sent letters of support, including the Valdosta-Lowndes Development Authority and the Valdosta-Lowndes Chamber of Commerce.
• Started a monthly member newsletter, Tannin Times.
• Estabished the Withlacoochee and Little River Water Trail Commitee; preparing to announce WLRWT logo contest winners at the February 27, 2016 WLRWT Conference. Thanks to the Valdosta-Lowndes Tourism Authority for their contribution towards printing WLRWT brochures.
• Held a dozen monthly Outings, plus some collaborations and informal Field Trips and Scouting Expeditions.
• At WWALS’ request, Valdosta held a wastewater meeting in March to update concerned parties both downstream in Florida and in Atlanta. WWALS continues to follow up on the Valdosta wastewater situation.
• Became a Waterkeeper® Alliance Affiliate and added the upper Suwannee River watershed as territory. Updated the WWALS Mission to match:

  WWALS Watershed Coalition advocates for conservation and stewardship of the
   Withlacoochee,
   Willacoochee,
   Alapaha,
   Little, and Upper
   Suwannee River
  watersheds in south Georgia and north Florida through awareness, environmental monitoring, and citizen activities.

• Many talks and tables at organizations ranging from Georgia’s Alapaha Soil and Water Conservation District to the Alapaha Station Celebration to development authorities.
• Petitioned a court in Florida against a permit for the invading Sabal Trail fracked methane pipeline, enabled a full-blown three-day legal hearing in Jasper, Florida; pecial thanks to all who testified. We continue fighting against that unnecessary, destructive, and hazardous boondoggle, including providing information to the Suwannee County, Florida Board of County Commissioners. Thanks to Sierra Club and Save Our Suwannee for their contributions to the legal fund, and to all those who contributed through the IndieGoGo crowdfunding campaign and through donations.
• Joined Floridians Against Fracking and continued to support solar power in Georgia and Florida.
• Investigated recent corporate agricultural land purchases by investors from the west coast; you’ll see more of that in the coming year.
• And thanks to the Lowndes County Commission for approving purchase of the land for the Naylor River Boat Ramp at US 84!

This was all done through volunteer efforts of you, the members and the WWALS board, facilitated by grants and contributions from organizations.

There is so much to do that WWALS is raising funds to hire an Executive Director and/or Waterkeeper. Don’t worry: the board and members will remain engaged and active as always, no matter who or how many we hire.

Will you make a tax-deductable, end-of-the-year donation today that will help the advocacy of WWALS for conservation and stewardship of all our rivers and the Floridan Aquifer for ourselves and our posterity?

Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good new year!

-jsq
John S. Quarterman
President
WWALS Watershed Coalition, Inc.
PO Box 88, Hahira, GA 31632
www.wwals.net
wwalswatershed@gmail.com

You can join this fun and work by becoming a WWALS member today!

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