Gem City Style: April 2023 Earth Day

Jessica Hunter

Jenny Tompkins, campaign manager for clean water advocacy at PennFuture, speaks to Jessica Hunter about her connection to conservation, community involvement and advocacy, working with governments, and the dire importance of keeping our waterways clean.

This month, I spoke with and photographed the campaign manager for clean water advocacy at PennFuture (a nonprofit focusing on a clean energy economy and protecting air, water, land, and sustainable communities in Pennsylvania and beyond), Jenny Tompkins, who also contributed an op-ed to the Reader this month in honor of Earth Day.

Jessica Hunter (JH): Jenny, tell us a little bit about yourself and a brief introduction to your role as PennFuture's campaign manager for clean water advocacy.

Jenny Tompkins (JT): Originally from upstate New York in the Lake Ontario Watershed, I spent long summer lake days swimming, boating, and fishing. My personal connection to water fostered a sense of responsibility to protect it. Over my 30 years of life, I've also seen firsthand how our society and systems negatively impacted the incredible freshwater systems I grew up in and around. I knew I wanted to do something about that.

I now call the Erie Region home after living in NWPA for the last decade. I work daily to protect the Pennsylvania Lake Erie Watershed as PennFuture's campaign manager for clean water advocacy. In my role, I try to help everyone, particularly elected officials and decision-makers, understand what they can do to protect Lake Erie and her watershed communities. PennFuture is also a watchdog on policy decisions that threaten our water and will defend our environment in the courts.

I try to get to the water as much as possible in my free time, preferably in a kayak or canoe. I also enjoy hikes with my husband and two rescue pups, gardening, traveling, and trying new recipes for Sunday meal prep.

JH: It is so important to have community members in the Lake Erie region connect with PennFuture. How do you reach these individuals to help advocate and protect our water resources?

JT: I am thankful for our Erie region partners for their collaboration and support. A dozen area nonprofit groups signed on to our Erie campaign, recognizing we reach more people about shared concerns when we work together. Community events, led by PennFuture and our partners, are key spaces to connect with new folks who care about our watershed. This Earth Month and throughout the year, PennFuture tables or presents at events. Anyone can become an environmental advocate, so stop to say hello, get connected to our work, and share why you care about protecting Lake Erie!

Media outlets like the Erie Reader also provide a critical space to engage concerned Erieites. I often connect with like-minded advocates at public hearings and meetings. Of course, email and social media are the most important ways we encourage supporters to take action and tell decision-makers how they feel. Visit pennfuture.org/subscribe to keep up with ways to engage in clean water advocacy.

JH: Our most important asset is Lake Erie. Clean water is the heart of the regional economy, overall health, and future. What types of threats are we facing if we do not address the issues immediately?

JT: Our health is tied to that of our waterways. A majority of Erie County residents rely on Lake Erie for drinking water. Research is increasingly linking the synthetic chemicals in plastics to poor health outcomes. Increasingly severe weather caused by climate change, including flooding, puts our critical infrastructure and homes at risk and costs us more in insurance premiums and repairs.

Regional tourism, centered on the lake, generates more than $1 billion in annual revenue. Harmful algal blooms and bacterial pollution threaten the safety of our local beaches and parks. Increasing water temperatures lower water oxygen levels that our coldwater fish species depend on, challenging our vital recreational fishing industry.

Inequity and environmental racism, unfortunately, tie all of these issues together. The great inequity faced by communities of color and people in poverty in Erie County is the largest obstacle to our region's reinvention of itself. The threats to our watershed also disproportionately impact people in these communities. Intentionally investing in communities more harmed by climate change, toxic pollution, and outdated infrastructure, will benefit all Erieites. To compete for the economic investments we seek, committing to healthier people and places will draw investors who share these values.

Addressing these challenges is critical to a healthier and more equitable future. A threat we face if we do not act is perpetuating the status quo.

JH: Your role requires you to lobby for policies at all levels of government to protect the Pennsylvania Lake Erie Watershed. What hurdles do you face finding representation for the Lake Erie region, and what are you doing to overcome them?

JT: Pennsylvania's small relative share of the entire Great Lakes Watershed (500 of 295,000 square miles) and Erie County's geographic isolation from other commonwealth population centers are political barriers that Erieites are well aware of. One of the goals of PennFuture's clean water work is to shorten the distance of Erie between Harrisburg and Washington, D.C. Regional partnerships recognizing common goals while providing space to advocate for Erie-specific issues become essential.

PennFuture is the Pennsylvania State Lead for the Healing Our Waters Great Lakes Coalition (HOW Coalition) which unites water advocates in all eight Great Lakes states around federal advocacy opportunities, including annual lobby days in Washington. The HOW Coalition also highlights the local successes of advocacy groups and creates spaces to learn from one another. Similarly, at the state level, groups from the Lake Erie, Ohio River, Chesapeake Bay, and Delaware River watersheds coordinate on policy advocacy. Letting legislators know how Erie is impacted by overarching clean water issues, and sharing stories of how constituents are impacted, challenges those decision-makers to work to build their own coalitions.

JH: How are you measuring the impact of your work? What does a successful campaign look like for you?

JT: In alignment with our recommendations, clean water action by leaders is one key part of a successful campaign. Creating and maintaining momentum is important. Some highlights impacting Erie include:

• The passage of a City of Erie stormwater fee ordinance
• Millcreek Township's sustainability department expansion
• Creation of the PA Clean Streams Fund, the first fund dedicated to clean water
• Passage of the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Defending against attempts to reduce or limit progress is also important. Examples are speaking against attempts to limit public engagement in decision-making, reduce clean water investments, and limit regulatory monitoring and enforcement.

PennFuture also values the number of organizations we partner with, individuals we reach through events and media, and those who take action to protect our waterways.

JH: What is your favorite water activity in the Lake Erie region? How can fellow citizens get involved to protect these types of activities in the future?

JT: Kayaking! Although, I've recently had opportunities to snorkel some of our regional waterways, which rekindled my love for being face-to-face (literally) with our amazing aquatic communities. To keep our waterways safe for these recreational activities, one of the most important things you can start with is to be civically engaged. Registering and voting in each election for candidates committed to environmental protection is so important. Individual behavior matters in your local community, but only systemic change will tackle these challenges at the necessary pace.

Lastly, because I know the formula works, get young people into and near waterways. It is essential to build a sense of stewardship in new generations and improve youth mental and physical health. Expanding access for kids who would otherwise face greater obstacles to water is even more important.

To learn more about PennFuture and their work in throughout Erie and Pennsylvania, visit pennfuture.org

Jessica Hunter can be found at jessicahunterphotos.com