ACF Basin – On the 25^th and 26^th of February Apalachicola, FL will host the second meeting of the Governing Board of the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint (ACF) Stakeholders, Inc (ACFS).  ACFS was founded by consensus Charter in 2009 to seek common ground and grassroots Stakeholder solutions among ACF interests basin-wide. As before, this meeting in Apalachicola, open to public observers, will be facilitated by a representative of the U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution, an independent agency of the federal government.

The meetings will begin at 10:00 AM February 25th and end at 1:00 PM February 26th at the restored Old Cotton Warehouse on Water Street in Apalachicola FL. Quarterly Governing Board meetings are rotated  among the four sub-basins.

The Mission of the ACFS is to change the operation and management of the ACF Basin to achieve (1) equitable solutions among Stakeholders that balance economic, ecological, and social values, and (2) viable solutions that ensure that the entire ACF Basin is a sustainable resource for current and future generations.

The first Governing Board meeting of the ACF Stakeholders, Inc. was held in Albany, Ga on Thursday, December 10^th, 2009.  Over 50 representatives from diverse water users of the ACF watershed were in attendance , from Lake Lanier and Atlanta in the north, through downstream communities in GA and AL, and the rural and coastal communities of FL.  The Governing Board is comprised of 14 Stakeholder representatives from each of the Sub-Basins of the ACF – the Upper Chattahoochee, the Middle/Lower Chattahoochee, the Flint and the Apalachicola – for a total of 56 Governing Board members.

As called for in the Charter, the Governing Board at their first meeting formed 5 Standing Committees – Inter-governmental Affairs, Finance, Education and Outreach, Issues, and Membership – to organize and conduct the on-going business of the ACFS.  Over the two day meeting, each of the Standing Committees will propose a functional-area workplan for Governing Board discussion and approval for the way ahead.

According to Wilton Rooks, Chair of the ACFS Executive Committee and Vice President of the Lake Lanier Association, "This meeting will recommend specific work plans developed by each of the Standing Committees that contribute to the mission and goals as defined in the Charter. Volunteers throughout the ACF Basin have spent hundreds of hours developing these work plans. All ACFS members are welcome to attend. The meeting is open to the public."

Reflecting on the results of the first ever meeting of the ACFS in Albany, Betty Webb, City Administrator for Apalachicola, Fl and a Governing Board member said “My expectation of the ACF Stakeholders effort is simple: A group of intelligent, hard working, dedicated individuals working in harmony toward a common goal for the betterment of the ACF systems.  The members appointed can make this a winning organization with a multitude of positive outcomes.”

The first Governing Board meeting of the ACF Stakeholders, Inc. was held in Albany, GA on Thursday, December 10th. Over 60 representatives from diverse water users and interest groups of the ACF watershed were in attendance from Gainesville, GA to Apalachicola, FL. The full 56 member Governing Board was selected by the 94 members of the ACF Stakeholders.

The purpose of the meeting was for the newly elected Governing Board to get acquainted and to express their views on issues that the organization should address and their expectations for the group. Betty Webb, City Administrator for Apalachicola, Fl said “My expectation of the ACF Stakeholders effort is simple: A group of intelligent, hard working, dedicated individuals working in harmony toward a common goal for the betterment of the ACF systems.  The members appointed are the "best of the best" that can make this a winning organization with a multitude of positive outcomes.”

The Governing Board agreed that the Governors of Florida, Georgia and Alabama should be notified of the existence of the group as they begin their deliberations on how to resolve the water conflicts.

A significant accomplishment at the meeting was filling the various standing committee positions and electing the Executive Committee for the first year of operation. Governing Board members overwhelming signed up for the following committees:

• Issues – Purpose:  To develop a work plan and recommend issues to the Governing Board for consideration by the full organization.
• Inter-governmental Affairs - Purpose:  To develop and implement an appropriate strategy to engage the affected state and federal agencies in ACFS affairs and to develop a communication strategy to interact with the appropriate agencies
• Finance - Purpose:  To establish the financial requirements and the procedures to secure adequate accounting and/or financing to meet the needs for the ACFS.
• Membership - Purpose:  To vet potential members requesting admission to General Membership and the Governing Board of the ACFS; to evaluate balance of the ACFS with respect to geography and interest representation, and to seek to improve the balance if necessary.
• Education/Outreach - Purpose:  To educate the General Membership and the public on issues related to the ACFS and to establish the processes and procedures to incorporate the public’s voice on ACFS business.

The Governing Board also established the Executive Committee which will be responsible for the day to day affairs and operation of the ACFS. The Executive Committee is comprised of:

• Chair – Wilton Rooks – Upper Chattahoochee Sub-basin
• Vice Chair – Vince Falcione – Flint Sub-basin
• Treasurer – Billy Turner – Lower/Middle Chattahoochee Sub-basin
• Secretary – Dan Tonsmeire – Apalachicola Sub-basin

Wilton Rooks, Chair of the Executive Committee said “This meeting is the culmination of a lot of difficult organizational work by water users of the ACF watershed. It is no small accomplishment that 94 representatives of major corporations, cities, counties, advocacy groups, power companies, industries, technical consultants and environmentalist have agreed to work together to give guidance to the future operation and management of the ACF watershed. We believe that the group will evolve solutions that will benefit from the very impressive technical and policy level expertise of the members of the Governing Board and the various committees. Many members of the Governing Board have been involved with the water conflict for the past 20 years and bring a wealth of knowledge of the issues. Other members are new to the issues and bring a fresh approach that will benefit the organization.”

Brian Manwaring of the U. S Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution and facilitator of the meeting said “To my knowledge, no other water related stakeholder group in the nation has evolved from grass-roots to address a topic as complex, challenging, and deeply rooted as in the ACF.  It is encouraging to observe the diversity of the stakeholders, and the dedication of the people in the ACF basin, to agree to a common goal.”

For additional information visit www.acfstakeholders.org or contact 
Wilton Rooks
Chair of the Executive Committee
678 200 8070
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The ACF Stakeholders, Inc. announces that the full 56 member Governing Board has been selected in representative caucuses in each of the four sub-basins of the ACF. The process illustrated again the desire of diverse water users of the ACF Basin to work together to share this valuable resource.

The Governing Board will hold its first quarterly meeting in Albany at the Hilton Garden Inn on Thursday, December 10^th starting at 10:00 AM.

In light of the Governors of Alabama, Florida and Georgia agreeing to meet to discuss a solution to the tri-state water conflict; it is encouraging that so many stakeholders on the ACF Basin have agreed to work together. It is important to his group that the Governors take into consideration the views of the stakeholders and engage the stakeholders in arriving at a solution to the water conflict.

Contact any of the following for further information:

Wilton Rooks, interim President and Executive Committee member for the Upper Chattahoochee sub-basin said:

“This organization reflects the best chances that the three states have of arriving at a resolution to the conflict over the waters of the ACF Basin. As a representative from the largest population center in the basin, I look forward to working with the representatives from the other basins. Our goal is to arrive at solutions that are beneficial to all users.”

Billy Turner, interim Treasurer and Executive Committee member for the Lower & Middle Chattahoochee sub-basin said:

“The ACFS, due to its organization and make up, intends to bring together the most knowledgeable, diverse group representing all water interests in the ACF watersheds. A positive outcome from the ACFS has the best chance to be a workable solution for the 20 year old water dispute.”

Dan Tonsmeire, interim Secretary and Executive Committee member for the Apalachicola sub-basin said:

“The level playing field upon which the ACFS is built and participation by those most affected by the management of water throughout the Basin gives us the best opportunity to find real and meaningful solutions to sharing water between citizens of our basin.”

Vince Falcione, interim Vice President and Executive Committee member for the Flint sub-basin said:

“This past year, I’ve had the opportunity to be part of the ACF Steering Team working with stakeholders throughout the basin. The time I spent with these individuals convinced me that we can work together to arrive at workable solutions to meet the needs of the diverse users of this resource. I am confident this organization will have a positive impact on this resource now and in the future.”

Organizations throughout the basin are now joining as members. The application and further details can be obtained at the organization’s website – www.acfstakeholders.org. 

The initial meeting of the Governing Board which will be selected by representatives of each sub-basin during November is scheduled for December 10th in Albany, Georgia.
For further details, contact any of the following:

• Wilton Rooks: 678 200 8070
• Billy Turner: 706-596-1630
• Dan Tonsmeire: 850-653-8936
• Vince Falcione: 229-430-8260 x2388