Rick Dove, first Neuse Riverkeeper was honored with a plaque in Union Point Park in New Bern for his work protecting the health of the Neuse River. Left to right - Rick Dove, NRF Board of Directors, Dean Naujoks, Upper Neuse Riverkeeper and Larry Baldwin, Lower Neuse Riverkeeper
Neuse River Foundation Board of Directors
David B. McCracken President
Richard J. Dove
Chariman of Advocacy Committee/Director
Natalie Baggett
Secretary
Phil Bowie
Director
Richard Goodwin
Director
Mary Ann Harrison
Director
William Olah
Director
James (Smoke) Boyd Director
Sandra (Sandy) Parker Director
Ron Gregory Director
Marilyn Grolitzer Director
Gail Young Director
McCracken stresses river quality
New Neuse River Foundation president wants to build membership
David McCracken, the new president for the Neuse River Foundation, paddles near the landing at Lawson Creek Park Monday. Byron Holland/Sun Journal
David McCracken, the new president for the Neuse River Foundation, has fond memories of his youth in a small farming town in Ohio.
He also can remember things that, in retrospect, prove quite ominous.
Among those is a memory of a neighborhood stream that became too polluted to host family picnics. Later, as a teenager fishing along other streams, he watched two small waterways turn into absolute cesspools and figured, That was just something that happened.
It wasnt until much later that McCracken realized that such environmental degradation hardly a thing of the past isnt out of peoples power to prevent.
In some ways an unlikely environmentalist, McCracken was as an international businessman. He lived outside the United States for 30 years, from places as distant as Australia and the Middle East. After decades spent doing work outside the country, however, McCracken felt drawn to this small community in which he could have a more direct, local effect.
McCracken is president of the Twin Rivers Paddle Club, is a former president of the New Bern Civitan Club, and serves on the steering committee for the Special Olympics of Craven County. Once a volunteer for Neuse River Days, McCracken eventually became part of the board of the Neuse River Foundation and has served as president of the organization since May, replacing former president Rick Dove.
It couldnt have come at a more opportune time, McCracken believes. American Rivers, a nonprofit conservation organization, ranked the Neuse River No. 8 on its list of top 10 most endangered rivers of 2007.
Were at a crossroads, McCracken declared in his gentle yet confident voice. An enormous public asset is being ignored by public officials and abused by hog farmers.
The new president hopes to change that and quickly.
Larry Baldwin, the Lower Neuse Riverkeeper, explains that the foundation is starting to do things differently.
For the past 15 years, the focus has been just on how pollution affects the river, he said. Now were looking at public health issues, too.
These dangers to community health include higher rates of respiratory illness and a scarcity of clean water in the poor, rural and predominantly black and Hispanic communities surrounding hog farms, Baldwin said.
A 51-hour vigil in Raleigh starting at 2 p.m. today is one of several outreach campaigns that McCracken is planning. The gathering aims to raise awareness within the public and the legislature about two bills slated to alter state hog farming regulations.
Another major issue affecting the rivers health, says McCracken, is a lack of enforcement of existing regulations regarding industrial and residential development.
No ones against development, he said. It just needs to be done properly.
Theres some good news too, says McCracken, who has seen increased public awareness about the river, as well as healthier river wildlife. The new ranking for the river can serve as a wake-up call rather than a death knell, he believes.
As to things individuals can do to help the effort, McCracken recommends that everyone contact their local representatives to express concern about the rivers health and ask them to support the adoption of a strong water conservation plan.
He also wants enforcement of the Neuse River buffer rules, and the banning of new hog lagoons and spray fields. There are also numerous ways to volunteer with the Neuse River Foundation, whose membership McCracken hopes to double within the year.
McCrackens involvement is more than just political. Its also quite personal.
I want my two granddaughters to be able to enjoy the clean air and water they deserve, he said
