Action, Protecting the Commons with Common Sense

The Ocean River Institute provides individuals around the world with specific opportunities to make a difference saving wildlife, protecting ecosystems, in environmental education, science, and conservation.

Many people want to lend a hand to environmental organizations, but it can be difficult to know how to help in specific, meaningful ways. The Ocean River Institute serves as a link between people who want to help and organizations that need their help.

We maintain a network of Partners, which are typically small, local, regional, and/or newly formed groups that find it especially challenging to reach potential supporters. When these groups need help, we announce it on this web page, in our newsletter and through emails to ORI Stewards.

"The least fracture now will be like a name engraved with the point of a pin on the tender rind of a young oak; the wound will enlarge with the tree, and posterity read in it full grown characters." Thomas Paine, Common Sense

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Here is how you can help right now:

Cod on Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary

Attorney General files law suit over fishing cuts, wants more cod caught. When regulators call for 75% cut in cod take after three years of higher quotas where only 60% were landed, the AG cries foul.

State Disapproves Local Efforts to Save Fish. Falmouth may not call for five times less fertilizer than the industry would like applied despite fish kills of striped bass.

Tell President Obama to restore rivers and streams

We Win Case, Federal Judge Strikes Down Latest Atlantic Herring Management Plan

Tell Washington to Approve Study of the Nashua River
H.R. 5319, the Nashua River Wild & Scenic River Study Act will provide opportunities for towns to work together across municipal and state boundaries to better their shared river resources.

Value Groundwater, Save Cold Stream River Wildlife Groundwater keeps rivers cold and flowing, and fish like it that way. Stop state from encouraging municipalities to take more groundwater.

Promote Safer Alternatives to Mercury Amalgam in Dentistry (SafeAMER)
Hidden River Cloud Network working to rid mercury from our teeth, our bodies and our environments.

Desperately Seeking SERA
We deserve SERA, Sanctuary Ecosystem Research Area, in a small portion of Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary.

Black Guillemot ice bird on Cooper Island Alaska

Save Black Guillemots, the Ice Birds of the Arctic from Polar Bears

Tell Congress to Fund the National Ocean and Great Lakes Policy

Stop Florida State Government from Messing with Local Governments. Stop Nitrogen Stormwater Runoff

Fight Ocean Plastics! Marine Debris with Divers in Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary

Clean Up Oceans for the Holidays, No More Ocean Plastics - Pass the Marine Debris Bill HR 1171 Tell your legislator to act to put an end to 1.4 billions lbs trash a year going into oceans and onto our shores. Enough already!

Take Action: British Virgin Islands
Help! Hans Creek Marine Protected Area, mangrove shores, turtle grass beds and corals to be destroyed by developers.

A National Endowment for Healthier Ocean to Promote Conservation

Defend EPA's New Mercury Emissions Standards For Coal Plants.

National Ocean Council
Thank President Obama for creating a comprehensive plan for responsible collaborative ocean stewardship.

Death by Coal in Alaska's Chuitna River on Cook Inlet
River wildlife, salmon and beluga home waters to be destroyed by largest strip-coal mine in Alaska.

Salt Marsh Action Write Now! Assist locals create a salt marsh at the mouth of the Mystic River in Boston Harbor. It's better than paving over and putting up a factory, despite what the Boston Globe says.

Tell Obama to Federalize the Gulf Clean UP!
Provide your comments to President Obama.

No New Oil Drilling in the Ocean, Clean Energy, Climate- Green Jobs and a National Ocean Policy Tell why we need clean energy, a climate bill, green jobs, no drilling offshore and a national ocean policy.

Green Slime Nevermore! Stop Florida Nutrient Pollution
Protect Florida waterways and coasts from unregulated nitrogen and phosphorous discharging.

Keep Chemicals Out of Our Drinking Water!
Tell Washington why we need broader endocrine disruptor test rules for our drinking water

Save the Atlantic Bluefin Tuna, Speak Out Against Larger Take Mature population of western Atlantic bluefin tuna has declined 82% since 1970. NMFS is considering increasing the killing of these ttuna. Public comment period closes December 21, 2009.

Save the Westfield River, essential salmon habitat
Provide your comments as to why and how river science should inform EPA permitting of a new utility taking river and discharging effluent waters.

Save the Atlantic Wolffish HELP the denizen of the rocky bottom cold ocean water benthos of the Altantic Ocean with teeth ground-down from hard-shelled prey.

Previous Actions:

ThrowNEPA rule back sign with people on boat

Throw the NEPA Rule Back! In Boston Harbor, ORI teamed up with Environment Massachusetts to deliver a boat load of comments to NMFS in Gloucester.

Take Action: Stellwagen Bank, Massachusett s
Provide feedback on the proposed management plan for the Gerry E. Studds Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary.

Take Action: U.S. Marine Protected Areas
Contribute to planning a system of protected areas in U.S. ocean waters.

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