It’s time to clean up our act and protect our rivers! I strongly believe that the waterways that bound our district are one of the prominent landmarks that make the Forest unique, and they should be protected at all costs. The River Severn and the River Wye have both seen huge amounts of pollution in recent years, from a number of different sources, including agricultural fertilisers and pesticides, untreated human sewage and the surface water run-off from roads. This pollution causes untold devastation on native species of plants and animals, resulting in declining numbers of salmon and eels and making the water unsafe for humans to enjoy. All of this pollution inevitably finds its way to the sea, compromising its essential function, which is to absorb carbon and cool the atmosphere, threatening not just our human welfare, but the welfare of the planet itself. The scale of the problem can be seen in waterways across the country, and we have to make changes now if we want our rivers and oceans to be enjoyed in the future. I don’t believe it’s right that our younger generation be affected by our indecision and inability to act now, and I hope that by making changes we can really start to see a benefit in the years to come. At the Forest of Dean District Council, we recently passed a motion to lobby government and work with all councillors and organisations to help find solutions to this problem and to help ensure our waterways can be enjoyed for years to come. That is why we’ve formed the Water Improvement Group. Made up of councillors from across the political spectrum, the Water Improvement Group will work with local groups, causes and organisations, as well as other local authorities (over twenty of which up and down the country have already passed similar motions) to generate ideas and drive actions to clean our rivers. Not only that, but I want members of government to see for themselves the dire state of our waterways. That is why I have written to the The Rt Hon Steve Reed, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to invite him to the Forest so that he can see firsthand the problems that we face and the work that must be done to protect our rivers. It is time that we worked together to help tackle this crisis. Change will not happen overnight, but by forming groups such as the Water Improvement Group and lobbying government we can begin to make real changes and ensure our waterways can begin to flourish once more.