Guardians of the river

The St. Louis River Citizens Action Committee has a long name, a little budget and no executive director.

It doesn't have instant name recognition among most Northlanders. And it's waging a constant struggle to raise money and stay afloat.

But other than that, things are going pretty well.

The committee will hold its annual meeting Wednesday in Superior. The meeting's highlight will be an award ceremony honoring people, agencies and businesses that have worked over the past year to help the river.

"We're not a government agency. We're not an environmental group. We're something a little different,'' said Jack Ezell, a Western Lake Superior Sanitary District official who serves on the committee's board. "We're not an advocacy group per se. But we do advocate for the river. ... I guess what we do best is bring people together.''

The committee formed in the 1980s under a program authorized by the U.S.Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA, and Minnesota and Wisconsin agencies, paid for the effort to identify and prioritize the worst problems along the lower St. Louis River and Twin Ports harbor.

Developed, dredged and damaged beyond recognition as a natural ecosystem in some areas, the estuary is still a prime recreational fishing hole and key habitat for wildlife and birds. The goal is to clean the water and restore the shoreline and backwaters as much as possible.

Government interest waned in the mid-1990s after the problems were identified, and in 1996 the committee incorporated as a private nonprofit.

The committee operates on about $85,000 per year, plus pass-through grants for specific projects. The committee wants to increase corporate and individual memberships to build involvement in river issues.

"We're trying to get more people involved. What we do best is bring people, bring the states together from both sides of the river that might not otherwise get together,'' committee board member Bill Majewski said.

The committee has avoided controversy by not taking stands on hot-button issues such as development of Clough Island, which some people say is critical habitat for fish, wildlife and birds.

"We're a motivator, a convener, not a political group,'' Majewski said. The committee has members from industries that use the river for commerce, sewage plant operators and regulatory agencies as well as concerned residents.

The committee used grants and developed a highly technical, highly praised habitat management plan for the harbor and lower river. Agencies in both states have used it. But the loss of a huge chunk of critical habit such as Clough Island would set back any plans to restore the river.

Dennis Pratt, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources fisheries manager for the region, said the committee's habitat plan involving biologists and researchers from both sides of the river shows how valuable its work is.

Phil Monson, a committee board member who has served as interim executive director for the past eight months, said the committee still has a valid role to play in the river's future.

"Crack the whip -- I guess that's what we do, crack the whip to make sure government agencies that are supposed to work on the river do what they are responsible to do,'' Monson said.

The committee is working on a watershed plan, but its first priority is to hire a new leader. Longtime executive director Lynelle Hanson moved out of state. The committee developed new criteria for the position and is advertising for a director who will help raise money, attract new members and advocate for the river. Public outreach and education are on the to-do list for whoever takes the job.

"We decided to go back and look at everything involved in the job description, so it's taken us a while,'' Ezell said. "We need someone with a real passion for the river and who can get things done. We need to take what Lynelle did and keep going.''

What: St. Louis River Citizens Action Committee 12th annual meeting and environmental stewardship awards

When: Wednesday, 6-8 p.m.

Where: Superior Public Library

New members welcome. Annual memberships are $25 for individuals and $500 for businesses.

For more information go to www.stlouisriver.org or call (218) 733-9520.