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The Neuse RIVERKEEPERS® are full-time, paid representatives who are responsible for the following duties.
- Patrol the Neuse by boat, plane and on foot.
- Locate and investigates pollution sources.
- Work independently and with government agencies to eliminate pollution in the Neuse River.
- Assist members of the scientific community and other interested organizations on
water quality matters, including research.
- Monitor NPDES permit applications and renewals affecting the Neuse River.
- Maintain an active education program for adults and children.
- Initiate environmental litigation.
Each RIVERKEEPER® is part investigator, scientist, educator and public relations agent. Think of his/her "clients" as all the users of the watershed for which the WATERKEEPER® advocates. A successful advocate has a diverse bag of tools that allows her or him to get the job done. Each RIVERKEEPER® has a boat, but sometimes a pair of hip boots is more important than a boat. A legal brief can be more important than either. Each water body has its own unique set of challenges requiring its own unique strategy.
Everything each RIVERKEEPER® does is dedicated to carrying out the mission to protect and preserve the Neuse and its rich heritage of aquatic life and consequently, they also protect the public’s ability to enjoy the river and to make a living from it. A cleaner river and stream system whose water complements the beauty of its basin is the ultimate goal of the Neuse RIVERKEEPER® Foundation (NRF), the Upper and Lower Neuse RIVERKEEPERS®, and NRF members.
Our Lower Neuse RIVERKEEPER® (based in New Bern) patrols the river from Goldsboro to the Pamlico Sound, while our Upper Neuse RIVERKEEPER® (based in Raleigh) monitors the river from above Falls Lake in Durham and Raleigh to Goldsboro. Your Lower and Upper Neuse RIVERKEEPERS® are the eyes, ears, nose and voice of the Neuse River. They are supported by the Neuse RIVERKEEPER® Foundation staff and numerous volunteers. Our members fuel the whole engine, so that our children and grandchildren will yet see a clean and fruitful river.
The RIVERKEEPERS®, along with LAKEKEEPERS®, BAYKEEPERS®, COASTKEEPERS® and others are part of the WATERKEEPER® ALLIANCE (WKA), an international network of WATERKEEPER® programs. The WKA represents each individual WATERKEEPER® on issues of national interest, and serves as a meeting place for all WATERKEEPER® programs to exchange information, strategy and know-how. To assure the public that all representatives of the WKA work under common standards and adhere to an advocacy philosophy, names such as “RIVERKEEPER®” are protected under federal trademark law. The WKA’s goal is to ensure that anytime you see a WATERKEEPER® name, you will know that the user is part of the WATERKEEPER® Alliance and is someone who works for effective citizen action.
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