7913

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 7913
• Author: Freshwater Society.
• Title: Water Management in Transition, 1985.
• USFW Year: 1985.
• USFW - Doc Type: Navarre, MN.
• Copyright Material: YES

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The Association is neither
an environmental group nor
an energy group nor a
commerce and industry
group: It is all of these
things.

The Association is replacing
shortsighted planning with
a far-sighted plan of action.

A "Partnership Among States"

Whereas the former basin commission was primarily a regional planning
organization, the Upper Mississippi River BasinAssociation has taken a somewhat
broader stance, providing a partnership among the states and facilitating a
dialogue and information exchange on technical and policy issues. Through the
development and adoption of position statements, the states articulate their
mutual concerns collectively and promote common perspectives.

The decision-making process is based on consensus, which ensures that policies
and positions reflect the membership's diverse concerns. In this way, the
Association provides an effective regional influence on policies eventually
formulated in Washington,

The major focus of the Association's efforts to date has been implementation of
the Comprehensive Master Plan for the Management of the Upper Mississippi
River System. This plan was prepared by the former Commission, and the
Association is committed to its support. To that end, the Association provides
information to private citizens, resource managers and Congress, and advocates
the necessary congressional authorization and appropriations to initiate
recommended programs.

Not content to wait for Congress to take the initiative in solving the basin's
problems, the Association has already begun working with the states on those
proposals of the master plan that can be implemented on a state or regional
level. Association task forces have conducted analyses of problems and needs
on such subjects as soil erosion and recreational facilities,

Other activities of the Association include a yearly analysis of the federal budget
which summarizes proposals related to water; workshops and conferences that
bring together people with specific expertise or perspectives; and maintenance
of an extensive library and map file,

Association Attributes: Influence, Balance . . .

The A'isociation boasts two attributes that give it more than just a fighting chance
for success. The first is influence, The Association functions as an extension of
the executive offices of five state governors. This gives Association
recommendations a direct line to those who can act on them.

The second is balance, The Association is neither an environmental group nor
an energy group nor a commerce and industry group: It is all of these things.
It is this critical balance the Association seeks by encouraging management
beneficial to all who depend on and enjoy the Mississippi - the eagles and
the engineers, the petroleum industry and the poets,

. . . and a Far-Sighted Plan of Action

The Upper Mississippi River Basin Association has made considerable progress
in its first four years. In vigorously promoting wise, multi-purpose management
of the basin and providing its member states with a unique opportunity to plan
together for the future, the Association is replacing shortsighted planning with
a far-sighted plan of action.

Muriel Morrisette is a staff writer for the Freshwater Society,

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