Public Policy Forum Thank You Remarks–Jeff Martinka
June 17, 2010

I want to thank the Public Policy Forum for this honor. In the course of day-to-day challenges, but especially with complex issues like regional water quality, progress can be difficult to gauge. The candid assessment of an informed observer can provide that needed affirmation that you are on to something, that your approach is worthy. We thank the Public Policy Forum for this early affirmation of our work.

I want to also recognize a key financial supporter. Molly Flanagan of the Joyce Foundation is sharing in this honor with us, here today from Chicago. I thank the Sweet Water Steering Council members here, including President Nancy Frank and members Kevin Shafer and Peter McAvoy. Finally, as the Public Policy Forum highlighted our public-private efforts in finalizing and now implementing watershed restoration plans for the Menomonee and Kinnickinnic Rivers, I recognize the four Menomonee and KK Watershed Action Team members here, Ben Gramling, Paul Lohmiller, Cheryl Nenn, and Ben Sykes. Their backgrounds - nonprofit health center, engineering firm, environmental organization, and major law office - offer singular proof of the collaborative nature of our work.

We call ourselves Sweet Water for short, but we are formally the Southeastern Wisconsin Watersheds Trust, Inc. Sweet Water is a unique partnership established in 2008 to achieve healthy and sustainable water resources throughout the 1,100 square miles of the Greater Milwaukee Watersheds.

Our core concepts are that water is central to our quality of life and that water honors no political boundaries. Our Steering Council and action teams are diverse by plan, including governments, special purpose districts, nonprofit organizations, local residents and representatives of business and academia.

Although huge investments have been made in our watershed infrastructure, our rivers have not achieved the Clean Water Act’s key goals of “fishable, swimmable, drinkable”. With point source pollution largely addressed, we face the central challenge of non-point pollution. Traditional methods to address this problem are not economically-feasible. By its diffuse nature, non-point pollution requires new approaches.

To this end, Sweet Water has the following goals:

• support land use practices that improve water quality
• forge relationships offering lasting benefits, and
• support and implement cost-effective projects that result in measurable improvements

Sweet Water is focusing its initial efforts on the Menomonee and Kinnickinnic Rivers. Planning work has just started on the Root River and efforts will begin on the Milwaukee soon after.

Please join in our efforts. Stay current by bookmarking our website at swwtwater.org or by friending the Sweet Water Facebook page. Thank you for your attention, and for this great honor.