INFO FOR 2021 LEGISLATIVE SESSION AND CLEAN AND ABUNDANT WATER LOBBY WEEK

CELP has hosted two annual Clean & Abundant Water lobby days, the first in 2019 and the second in 2020. We work in Olympia to improve water management laws and to stop bills that have the potential to harm rivers and aquifers.  This work is largely done by collaborating with other stakeholders and agencies to solve water problems. In 2020, we partnered with Puget Soundkeeper Alliance and others to gather our communities to speak with legislators about our priorities for clean flowing waters for all. Each year we urge our legislators to adopt sound and sustainable policies to better manage and protect our water resources.

During the 2020 lobby day we had over 60 attendees from 27 legislative districts come together to receive hands-on advocacy training and dive into lobbying our priority bills. We were able to meet with more than 45 legislators or their staff to show our support for these bills to protect our waters and environment. Of our 6 priority bills in the 2020 legislative session four were passed and signed into law. Including:

1. Suction Dredge Mining Ban  (ESHB 1261 )2.  Drought Preparedness and Response  (ESHB 1622 ) 3.  Water & Energy Conservation C

-PACER (E2SHB 2405 ) 4.  Reusable Bag Bill (ESSB 5323) CELP also supported the Low-Water Landscaping bill (HB 1165 ) which was also signed into law. 

Special thanks to Puget Soundkeeper Alliance for coordinating lobby day 2020 with us. Thanks to Waterkeeper Alliance groups Columbia Riverkeeper, Spokane Riverkeeper, North Sound Baykeeper, and Twin Harbors Waterkeeper, and to Trout Unlimited, RE Sources for Sustainable Communities, the Lewis County Water Alliance, Cowlitz Indian Tribe, and everyone else who made it to Olympia to support clean and abundant water.

Our work continues.

Our lobby days and work in Olympia would not be possible without our Government Affairs Specialist, Bruce Wishart. Our Outreach Coordinator, Nick Manning coordinated both lobby days and we are thankful for all the work he did for CELP while he was here. If you are interested in lobbying or helping organize lobby day email us at contact@celp.org.