CRWP envisions a community that creates and protects a watershed with healthy soils; drinkable groundwater; and clean, fishable, and swimmable rivers, lakes, and streams. Our core values are resilience, equity, and engagement.

Two weeks ago, we all saw a Minneapolis police officer pin George Floyd to the ground and ignore him when he said “I can’t breathe.” Three other officers looked on and did nothing. Floyd later died in police custody. This murder in the hands of authorities should never have happened, but it’s been happening for far too long over county’s history. 

After two weeks of watching, listening, and reflecting, we cannot be silent about this gross miscarriage of justice that took place (again) here in Minnesota.

Our thoughts are with George Floyd’s family and all those hurting in Minneapolis and across the country (focus is national change, not world-wide change, I think). His needless death made clear, if it wasn’t already, that the Minnesota many of us enjoy: places to birdwatch and jog without fear, access to clean tap water, easy access to groceries at neighborhood stores, is not available to everyone in our state.

We acknowledge that as a Minnesota nonprofit, our actions and inactions are responsible for the government and social systems in our state and across our country that oppress Black and Brown community members. CRWP is calling on its members, supporters, and friends to take action to address systemic racism in all its forms. As a primarily white-led organization, we are listening to our friends, neighbors and community members who identify as People of Color and Indigenous people.

As an organization, CRWP commits to doing our best to undo systems of violence and injustice, rewind the global impacts of climate change, and create new systems of resiliency, equity, and engagement as stated in CRWP’s Values Statement. 

We continue to find actions we can take together to dismantle and undo the harms caused by systemic racism in Minnesota and inside each one of us. We welcome and encourage self-reflection, conversation and then, most importantly, action. We hope you will join us in supporting the change that is long-overdue.

CRWP Board of Directors &

Kristi Pursell, Executive Director