Vision, Mission and Principles of the Middle Rio Grande
Overall Goals/Objectives
The 2014 Work Plan states that:
"The Middle Rio Grande Urban Water Project will work to protect, restore and revitalize urban water resources in the Middle Rio Grande Area and the watershed associated with the project focus areas identified by the Partnership. The Partnership will use the mission, vision and principles of the National Urban Waters Federal Partnership to guide the work."
The Urban Waters Federal Partnership has the following Vision, Mission, and Principles:
Vision
"Through our partnership, we will revitalize urban waters and the communities that surround them, transforming overlooked assets into treasured centerpieces and drivers of urban revival."
An expanded version of the vision states:
"We envision community members having access and opportunity to experience and enjoy their waterways and viewing their urban waters and adjacent lands as intrinsically valuable. Community members will be motivated, informed and engaged with federal, state and local governments, centers of learning, community institutions, businesses and non-profits in order to revitalize their waterways, waterfronts, and adjacent communities. As water issues and other urban priorities become linked, we envision new and previously unlikely partnerships being created to transform previously degraded urban waters and adjacent lands into community assets. Urban waters will no longer be undervalued but will be treasured as centerpieces of urban revival."
Mission
“The ‘Urban Waters Federal Partnership’ will help urban and metropolitan areas, particularly those that are under-served or economically distressed, connect with their waterways and work to improve them. This federal partnership will put communities first. We will work to break down government program silos and to ensure that our collective efforts will reverse past neglect, energize existing programs, and engage new partners. We will listen to, engage and serve the communities where we work, ensuring they are full partners in restoring and protecting the water that surrounds them. We will establish strong partnerships with effective community-based organizations and local government officials to make the most effective use of economic incentives and other beneficial actions. With the right set of federal, state, and local tools and the local commitment of political will, the partnership will leverage existing neighborhood assets. These actions will be geared to promote early and visible victories to fuel long-term action. Success will advance the missions of our partnership, our agencies, and the federal government as a whole”.
Guiding Principles
- Promote clean urban waters
- Reconnect people to their waterways
- Promote water conservation
- Use urban water systems as a way to promote economic revitalization and prosperity
- Encourage community improvements through active partnerships
- Be open and honest; listening to the communities is the best way to engage them
- Focus on measuring results; evaluation will fuel future success