Friends of the Rocky River

Facts about Friends of the Rocky River(FORR) ...

For more than 15 years, the Friends of the Rocky River (FORR) has been an informal group of citizens of Chatham County, the majority of whom own property and live along or adjacent to the river, that came together whenever the Rocky was found to be in crisis.  This segment of the county, the Rocky River and its basin, comprises a major section of the county.  When the current crisis with the River was resolved, the group disbanded until the next crisis arose.

In September, 2003, FORR was approved as a 501C-4 incorporated organization.  A Board of Directors and officers were elected, and the organization began meeting on a regular sculdule, with a mission to develop into a long-term, permanent organization committed to monitoring the river and its basin.  As permitted in a 501C-4 incorporation, FORR became active in the 2004 election of the Chatham County Board of Commissioners, support ing candidates who were concerned about and willing to become involved in protecting and maintaining the environment of the county, including the health of the Rocky River.

Soon after the 501C-4 was formalized, the Board of Directors (BoD) for FORR agreed to apply for 501C-3 status, which would allow the organization to seek grants and to permit tax-free donations.  Approval of the 501C-3 is expected in the Spring of 2005.

The BOD identified a set of priorities to work towardin 2005, including:

• encouraging a larger membership
• raising funds through grants and donations with which to support river monitoring and streamwatch activities,
• river monitroing and stream watech activities,
• a public relations effort,
• an educational force in the county on environmental and waterwasy' issues,
• nutrient sensitive and Natural and Scenic categories for the River
• wetland mitigation
• monitoring the regulation of the Siler City dam and Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP)
• Meeting with County; Commissioners about:
• sediment control, acquisition of stream buffers, county wide zoning, and water quality monitoring.

From its early beginning as neighbors working informally to defend the river, the Frineds of the Rocky River has matured into a bona fide citizens organanization that, along with other like groups in the county committed to working together, will become the voice of the people in Chatham County.  This citizen's movement is dedicated to striving to protect the natural resources of the county while acknowledging controlled, or "slow," growth and to reclaim and sustain the wild and printine nature of the Rocky River and its basin.

 

Friends of the Rocky River (FORR)

 

Mission Statement, Goals, and Assumed Tasks

 Mission Statement

The mission of the Friends of the Rocky River (FORR) is to protect, monitor, maintain, and improve upon the quantity and quality of the waters of the Ricky River, as well as to monitor and minimize the effect of the growth of the Region on the River and its basin.

 Goals

In adhering to its mission, FORR will:

• monitor and work to protect the River’s natural, as well as unique, flora and fauna
• educate and population of Chatham County on Issues relevant to the health of the river and its basin
• maintain and expand the River’s designated usage
• cooperate with communities within Chatham County that impact and are impacted by the River

 

Assumed Tasks

Friends of the Ricky River will promote and facilitate

Protection and Care of the River

• practices that promote maintaining and increasing the volume of the Rocky River and adjacent wetlands
• reclassification of the Rocky River as 1) “Natural and Scenic River” and 2) as “nutrient-sensitive”
• monitoring practices for diminishing pollutants and increasing water quality and health and numbers of the River’s flora and fauna
• practices that identify and protect the unique flora and fauna of the Rocky river
• maintenance, recognition of and utilization of the Rocky River as a recreational resource based on its designated usage.

 

A Regional Approach

• Maintain and improve the health of the Rocky River and its basin
• Maintain the ecological and economic health of the River’s basin
• Explore desirable alternatives for waste management within the Region and methods by which communities on or adjacent to the Rocky river might diminish their impact on the River
• Educate the public and law-makers within the Region as to the importance of our rivers as community assets.

 Collaborative efforts with other private and governmental organizations with similar goals.

Friends of the Rocky river will oppose:

• efforts to dam or otherwise impound the waters of the Rocky river
• efforts to divert pollutants into the Rocky River
• secondary source pollution of the Rocky river
• development adjacent to the river which would negatively impact the volume and/or quality of the River’s water and its basin

 Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws of FORR

September, 2003