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RiverLink defends new 'Riverkeeper' By The Asheville Tribune from http://www.ashevilletribune.com/riverlink_response.htm  Asheville,
N.C. - Sept. 8, 2001 - "French Broad Gains Riverkeeper,"
read the headline on the press release from RiverLink. RiverLink, a
regional non-profit organization, who's "working to revitalize
business and the environment of the French Broad River has been issued
a French Broad Riverkeeper license, which permits RiverLink to call
their employee a "riverkeeper," continues the statement.In the release, RiverLink Executive Director Karen Cragnolin said, "The French Broad Riverkeeper will be working with developers, homebuilders and citizens to develop programs that will build partnerships working to improve the quality of our water." RiverLink named Philip Gibson (pictured above), 34, formerly of Western North Carolina Tomorrow (WNCT), to the position of Riverkeeper and issued the press release last week after the Asheville Tribune learned of the appointment from a state publication and broke the story locally. Gibson told the Tribune that he would not be doing anything he had done for the past five years with WNCT, except on a regional basis. A native of Kentucky, Gibson is a graduate of the University of Louisville and of Southern Illinois with a minor in Political Science and a major in Geography. According to the press release, Gibson was instrumental in the creation and development of the Clear Water Contractor program. This program assists graders, bulldozer operators and backhoe operators with the best management practices for the mountains and how to comply with local, state and federal laws. Gibson also organized the development of "The Mountain Home Guide," designed to help citizens with homebuilding. "I am excited with the opportunity to continue working with citizens and developers in Western North Carolina," Gibson said. Gibson is the fifth "Keeper" in North Carolina. The release goes on to state, "But as the French Broad River does not face the same issues as other rivers in North Carolina, the programs will be focused on general education and being a resource to private landowners who seek solutions to problems they face on their land." According to the release, the Riverkeeper movement was originated with New York's Hudson River in the late 1960's when commercial and recreational fishermen joined forces to preserve fisheries and their jobs. They modeled their program after riverkeepers in the British Isles who were responsible for maintaining and improving the water quality of private trout and salmon streams. Through the successful efforts of the Hudson Riverkeeper program and its partners, the historic river has regained its fisheries and business and is one of the healthiest bodies of water in the North Atlantic. The Water Keeper Alliance, the licensing agency of the Riverkeeper, has issued licenses to over 58 programs across the United States. The term "Riverkeeper" is a trademark of the Water Keeper Alliance. The Alliance does not manage day-to-day operations. Organizations receiving a license have full discretion to implement and operate their programs in a manner best suited to their geographic region and the common issues facing their communities. Cragnolin said, "We are delighted to receive the French Broad Riverkeeper license and look forward to working with developers, citizens and communities throughout our watershed. We are fortunate in this region to have a history of improving our communities and the river. We anticipate that the French Broad Riverkeeper will serve as a facilitator in addressing the common interests of our entire community." Gibson said that he will be available to help anyone in the four counties along the French Broad, which include Buncombe, Henderson, Madison and Transylvania.
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