Advocate

Including advocacy in our mission sets us apart.

We are one of the only statewide environmental organizations with full-time staff who advocate for wildlife, land conservation, and protection of our region’s natural resources. Using a scientific, fact-based approach, we work to gain funding for land preservation, protect threatened and endangered species, and advocate for environmentally responsible energy policies.

As the state affiliate for the e National Wildlife Federation, we address more than 50 environmental issues on the federal, state, and local level.

Clean Water

Investments at the federal- and state-level will improve our water quality, so we are advocating for:

• Sustainable, dedicated clean water funding
• Full funding in the EPA Chesapeake Bay Program
• Robust funding for the Delaware River Basin Program Restoration Program
• Protection of freshwater wetlands

Land & Habitat Protection

Protection and preservation of open spaces provides habitat for wildlife, replenishes our drinking water supply, and removes air pollutants. We encourage:

• Reduce plastic pollution
• Full funding for Delaware’s Open Space and Farmland Preservation Programs
• Passage of the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act
• Transparent Coastal Zone Regulatory Process
• Implementation of Delaware’s Ecological and Extinction Task Force Recommendations related to native plants

Climate & Energy

We must slow and limit damage caused by climate change with improved energy conservation, efficiency, renewable energy, and greenhouse gas reduction. We support:

• Reforming the Ethanol Mandate
• Increasing Delaware’s Renewable Portfolio Standards
• Planning at the local-, state-, and federal-level for the impacts from climate change – Read full report: Climate Justice for a Prosperous & Sustainable Wilmington

The Clean Water: Delaware’s Clear Choice campaign:

• Builds an alliance of Delaware stakeholders to support sustainable funding for clean water.
• Supports efforts to ensure that funding for clean water improvement projects places an emphasis on green infrastructure projects.
• Lays critical groundwork to further educate and connect residents to their local waterways and empower them to take action to improve the quality of these waterways.

Plastic Bag Ban

Delaware bans plastic bags! Thanks for your support to reduce hazardous plastic pollution in Delaware! The ban will take effect on January 1, 2021.

Learn More

Over 125 clean water advocates joined us for the 5th Annual Rally in 2019. Our advocacy lead to the inclusion of $20 million for clean water funding in Delaware’s budget for Fiscal Year 2020. That’s $10 million more than last year! Join us annually in early June on the Legislative Mall in Dover, DE

More About Our Clean Water Rally

State of Delaware

• Delaware Code
• Public Meeting Calendar
• Delaware Register of Regulations

Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control

• Delaware Coastal Zone Act/Program
• Delaware Wetlands
• DNREC Divisions and Programs

Delaware General Assembly

• Main website
• Legislative Schedule
• Find your legislator

Federal

• Legislation Information
• Federal Register
• Environmental Protection Agency