Congratulations to New York Rivers United’s Bruce Carpenter on being named this year’s River Conservationist of the Year by the Adirondack Council!
If you paddle in New York you should know the name Bruce Carpenter. Here at AW we have recognized Bruce for years as an effective and passionate river advocate, who has saved countless miles of river and acres of forest in New York State. Bruce regularly works closely with AW staff and volunteers, and has accomplished a great deal for New York boaters. He is an invaluable member of the New York team that is working to save rivers, so if you see Bruce around be sure to congratulate him on this well deserved recognition.
As a local newspaper reported…
"A decade ago New York Rivers United was formed by a group of environmentalists concerned with the sudden emergence of dozens of renewal applications for
hydro-electric power facilities across the state. Hydro-power means dams, and dams are seldom the best friends of free-flowing rivers.
The mission of the group was to restore as much of New York’s natural river system as was possible given the enormous pressures for power generation. The NYRU under Bruce Carpenter became, in effect, the enviromental coalition’s
principal voice in multi-party negotiations for license renewals that have been going on ever since."