This information was prepared by Alexandra Campbell-Ferrari to help people understand the agreement's purpose and content. It is reproduced here verbatim. Thank you to Alexandra for sharing this with us to share with you! On-River, Corridor and Watershed Local and Tribal Leaders are invited to join the Mississippi River Local and Tribal Leaders Agreement, a transformational document which will forge the future of the Mississippi River for years to come. What is the Mississippi River Local and Tribal Leaders Agreement? Short Answer: The Agreement unites local and Tribal leaders in a common cause to defend, protect, and invest in the Mississippi River for the betterment and prosperity of your communities. Long Answer: The Mississippi River Local and Tribal Leaders is a landmark agreement, spearheaded by the Mayors of the Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative (MRCTI) and the Center for Water Security and Cooperation (CWSC), that empowers local and Tribal leaders to collectively set a shared course for the Mississippi River. The Agreement, open to all mayors, equivalent local leaders, and Tribal leaders along the Mississippi River and in the River’s watershed, promotes the economic, ecological, and social vitality of the Mississippi River by encouraging sustainable use, protection, and restoration of the Mississippi River. The Agreement builds a unique foundation for collective action dedicated to the Mississippi River founded on the local level. This agreement builds toward an Interstate Water Compact by showcasing the extraordinary work that local governments and Tribes are already doing to protect the river. The efforts and commitments showcased by the Agreement will drive the conversation about an Interstate Compact that will be necessary for the river to survive and flourish in the long-term. What does the Mississippi River Local and Tribal Leaders Agreement ask Signatories to do? Short Answer: The Agreement asks signatories to agree to a few core principles: that cooperation and collaboration among cities, towns, and Tribes is necessary to protect the River, that greater protections and formal cooperation among States would benefit the River, and that local and Tribal leaders, as the leaders closest to the communities who depend on and are impact by the River, are well-positioned to lead. Once signed, the Agreement asks local and Tribal leaders to submit a short Implementation Plan (using the form provided) that identifies actions local and tribal leaders are already taking or are planning to take to protect and celebrate the Mississippi River. The Agreement asks leaders to report on their progress on these actions on a regular basis. Long Answer: The Mississippi River Local and Tribal Leaders Agreement is a voluntary agreement that asks local and tribal leaders to identify commitments they can make to advance their existing work protecting the Mississippi River. Commitments are intended to highlight the initiatives you are already undertaking or planning to undertake to protect the Mississippi River, though they can also include new initiatives. To help spark the planning process, the Agreement makes suggestions for commitments that can be adopted. The suggested commitments are provided in an illustrative list of examples in the Agreement and fall in the following six areas that focus on the greatest needs and challenges of the River:
Who will support my joining and implementing the Agreement? Short Answer: The CWSC will be your partner as you consider joining the Agreement, submit the Signature Page, and identify commitments and develop your Implementation Plan through to the implementation of your plan, sharing your experiences, and working toward an interstate compact. Long Answer: CWSC will serve as the Secretariat for the Agreement, with MRCTI as a Founding Partner. This means that the CWSC is available to: (1) answer questions about the Agreement before you sign, (2) help you identify commitments and develop an Implementation Plan, (3) bring visibility to this work in order to increase investment in the Mississippi and your communities who rely on it, (4) periodically collect and report on implementation successes and challenges, and (5) work toward an interstate compact for the Mississippi River. CWSC will serve as the primary point of contact for submission of Implementation Plans, updates on those plans, and reporting on progress. CWSC, as the Agreement’s Secretariat, will review the Plans to identify avenues for collaboration, share stories of similar efforts, and frame and amplify the successes and challenges along the River. What is a “commitment”?
Short Answer: A commitment is an action or activity that local and Tribal leaders are currently taking or are planning to take to improve the protection and management of the River for their communities. The commitment can also propose a new action or activity. Long Answer: A commitment is an action or activity that local and tribal leaders will take or pursue to protect and restore the Mississippi River. Commitments can be actions that are currently being taken, actions are planned, and new actions intended to build off existing work or explore new opportunities within or between communities. Local and tribal leaders can adopt any type of a commitment, from developing new policies for wetland restoration and climate resilience or expanding public spaces and greenspaces along the Mississippi River, to launching citizen science initiatives that monitor the health of the river and engage students. The Agreement offers many other examples and suggestions for the types of commitments local and tribal leaders can make, but the list in the Agreement is illustrative, not exhaustive, and is meant to provide examples that can start a discussion or provide some initial ideas for actions that cities, towns, and Tribes can take. What are my next steps? Short Answer: Local and Tribal leaders should submit a Signature Page to the CWSC by February 7, 2025. For these signatories, Implementation Plans should be submitted by the end of May 2025. Long Answer: The Executive Committee of the MRCTI voted to join the Agreement on December 2, 2024. Local and Tribal leaders should sign and submit the Signature Page to [email protected] by February 7, 2025. If you have questions you need answered before signing and would like to schedule a meeting to discuss the Agreement, please contact the same email address with a request to meet. An official signing ceremony is being planned during the MRCTI Annual Capitol meeting March 5-6, 2025. Comments are closed.
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