Rushing Rivers Blog

On Wednesday, July 22, 2009, at 11 am our very own Dr. Piotr Parasiewicz entered the Massachusetts State House to give his professional scientific testimony on the new House Bill 834, An Act Relative to Sustainable Water Resources filed by Representative Frank Smizik. This Bill had the ears of the Joint Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture, in attention of the Honorable Chairmen Strauss and Petrucelli.

This bill addresses the need for updating our water policies to fight the troublesome matters facing the ever-growing problem of water shortages. It advocates the removal of unused dams, excessive withdrawals and outdated watershed development. As a solution it defines important mitigation methods such as setting streamflow standards, regulating appropriate water withdrawals in regards to the ecology and water supply as well as altering dam management in accordance to wildlife and human and economic use.

Dr. Parasiewicz gave a riveting speech filled with passion towards the approval of this bill, he said, “I was SO pleased when I heard about this bill and what a wonderful idea it is! We scientists are READY.”

He also gave his professional opinion with recommendations to amending the bill, such as 1) the development of a comprehensive plan in the permitting and management process to fight long-term global climate change, 2) Underscoring the need for State-of-the-Art application and establish a River Research Management Authority to oversee these applications by trained scientists, managers and legislators, 3) establishing clear quantitative definitions and standards of ecologically sound metrics such as safe yield or habitat to evaluate the current status and success of implemented measures, and, 4) to specify the language that the goal is to protect the habitat, ecological integrity and human water use rather than only flows as a component of habitat as flows alone is insufficient to protect the fauna.

In conclusion, Dr. Parasiewicz presented forth his sixteen-year-old daughter, Sylvia, and two young bright employees of Ocean River, Ryan Czekanski-Moir and Harper Dangler, who came to the hearing to advocate for the passing of this bill, as this decision will affect their future, their entire youth and next generation, significantly.

Rushing Rivers Institute also stated their extreme pleasure to work with them in modifications of HB 834 with the assist of their professional perspective.

After the testimony, Senator Eldridge, an avid supporter of the bill who has actively petitioned for the passing of this bill to the Senate, personally approached Dr. Piotr Parasiewicz and recognized his valuable and moving speech with mention of future contact and possible collaboration.

To view the full testimony simply click the below attachment