Upper Neuse Riverkeeper resigns

Dean Naujoks has stepped down from his job as Upper Neuse Riverkeeper with the Neuse River Foundation. He held the position for the past seven years, serving as an outspoken and effective advocate for the river. He was also the force behind the founding of Muddy Water Watch, a statewide initiative that's involving citizens in monitoring sediment pollution.

But as Naujoks noted in his resignation letter, big challenges remain for the Neuse and other North Carolina waterways:

The Neuse River Basin is one of the fastest growing river basins in the nation. Increasing population growth combined with poor land use practices will continue to degrade our water resources. Local governments need to implement strong stormwater programs and strictly enforce sedimentation pollution control laws to control runoff from construction activity.

As we have seen with recent droughts, our drinking water supplies will continue to be strained due to global climate change and unsustainable development practices that fail to link projected population growth to available water supplies. We need local governments to understand there are limits to growth and avoid short-sighted solutions like inter-basin water transfers or restricting flows to the river and downstream communities. Many of the solutions to deal with these problems already exist, but we need our elected officials to recognize the environmental and economic value of clean water rather than cave into industry lobbyists who profit from compromising our public trust waters.

The Neuse River Foundation is now looking for someone to fill the position; click here for a job description.