FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
June 13, 2015

Mount Shasta, CA – Local organizations We Advocate Thorough Environmental Review (W.A.T.E.R.) and the Mount Shasta Bioregional Ecology Center (MSBEC) have announced the successful transition of W.A.T.E.R. to its own independent nonprofit corporation, retaining the same name. W.A.T.E.R. was first established in July 2014 and incubated as a fiscally sponsored MSBEC project.

MSBEC is a grassroots 501(c)(3) organization, which protects and restores the outstanding natural environment and cultural values of Mount Shasta and its surrounding bioregion.

W.A.T.E.R. has as its mission the monitoring of various development project applications, and is currently deeply involved in citizen review of the Crystal Geyser beverage bottling plant project. It also educates the public about environmental issues of local importance. In the future, it may separately review other development projects.

Going forward, donations can be made directly to W.A.T.E.R. (which is in the process of finalizing its tax deductible status with the IRS) rather than through MSBEC.

MSBEC will continue with fiscally sponsored projects such as the Community Garden and Shasta Commons, in addition to its programs protecting Medicine Lake Highlands from geothermal fracking; helping visitors enjoy and be good stewards of Mount Shasta through the Honor Our Mountain Environment (H.O.M.E.) program and other educational efforts; and providing watershed stewardship through its “Renew Siskiyou” climate adaptation program, participation in the Integrated Water Resources Management Program (IRWMP) group and other coalitions involving public and private environmental stakeholders.

For more information, please see these websites: MSBEC: www.mountshastaecology.org or W.A.T.E.R.: http://groupspaces.com/WATERS/

Contact:
Phoenix Lawhon Isler, Ph.D
Program Director, MSBEC
phoenix@mountshastaecology.org
530.926.5655

Bruce Hillman
CEO, W.A.T.E.R.
mountshastawater@gmail.com
530.918.8805

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