Advocacy
Rather than replacing any one of the many dedicated organizations working towards clean water and thriving communities in the Ohio River Basin, ORBA works to unite these groups as partners and advocate on their behalf to ultimately succeed in receiving dedicated and sustainable federal funding to restore and protect this region. Read more on the Ohio River Restoration and Protection Plan, our Ohio River Basin Days on the Hill, and the Ohio River Restoration Program Act to see how ORBA plans to achieve healthy waters and healthy communities throughout the basin.
Ohio River Basin Restoration and Protection Plan
ORBA leaders from the National Wildlife Federation are drafting an Ohio River Restoration Plan that will secure federal funding from Congress to restore, protect, and enhance ecosystems within the Ohio River Basin. This is significant because, unlike other key water systems, like the Great Lakes, the Ohio River Basin does not receive any such dedicated funding from the federal government. The plan will offer a “blueprint” for federal action, including the designation of the Ohio River as a protected water system that receives significant, sustained federal investment.
Each of the six ORBA workgroups, as well as ORBA committees, contributed to the development of the Ohio River Restoration Plan. The plan is a community-driven effort that will encompass the clean water priorities of people in cities and towns across the region. Public input was gathered for the plan through a series of virtual and in-person listening sessions that took place throughout the Ohio River Basin in 2022 and 2023. To read the compiled listening session report, click here. The draft Ohio River Restoration Plan will be shared with the Ohio River Basin Caucus, members of Congress, and the general public in June 2025.
Ohio River Restoration Program Act
On Dec. 17, 2024, Ohio River Basin Caucus Co-Chairs, Reps. Morgan McGarvey and Erin Houchin, introduced the Ohio River Restoration Program Act to the 118th congress. Attending the press conference to introduce the bill on behalf of ORBA were Craig Butler, Past Chair, and Jonathan Burgess, Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees. Also in attendence were Jordan Lubetkin of National Wildlife Federation, who, in collaboration with the Ohio River Basin Alliance, drafted the Ohio River Restoration and Protection plan that guided the coming legislation, and Heather Taylor-Miesle of American Rivers. Once passed, this historic bill will establish an Ohio River National Program Office within the United States Environmental Protection Agency to convene states, local governments, interstate compact agencies, tribal nations, and non-governmental organizations to work in conjunction to secure federal funding opportunities and design an action plan to carry out pollution prevention, workforce development, community resiliency, habitat restoration, and other clean water objectives for the region.