The Green Party of Virginia

Contact: Miriam Gennari, Press Secretary, Virginia Green Party, 703-549-1422, press@vagreenparty.org

"The King William Reservoir must not be built -period." So says the Green Party of Virginia's Mr. Roger Clarke, a community organizer of Albemarle County, underlining the Green Party's recent official adoption of a blunt resolution opposing the King William Reservoir, which developers propose to build in the tidewater region of the state.

"Greens are first and foremost about ecological and social justice," declared Mr. Clarke, "and this proposed reservoir is a senseless and brutal affront to both. Greens in Virginia are proud to take this strong stand against the reservoir in solidarity with Virginia's tribes, Virginia's environmental community, and thousands of university students across this state and region."

The Green Party of Virginia, or GPVA, is now the fastest growing state Green political party in the nation. The "Stop The Reservoir" resolution was passed unanimously during the party's most recent quarterly session, held September 14th in historic Fredericksburg.

Mr. Mason Payne of Richmond, who serves as Co-Chair of the GPVA, similarly expressed a call to action: "All concerned citizens -but especially Greens and other progressives- must lose no time in writing and calling Virginia's Governor Mark Warner to tell him that they strongly oppose the King William Reservoir. This egregiously sited project would seriously harm Virginia's Native American cultures, and would destroy a rare and pristine rural ecosystem, including tidal rivers, streams, marshes, and the rare plants and animals that depend upon that unspoiled environment. Developers have no justification for this massive dam and reservoir other than sprawl: more clogged and cluttered highways, more pollution, more conspicuous consumption, and more gated mini-estates for the rich."

The Army Corps of Engineers thoroughly rejected the King William Reservoir (KWR) project last year, noting with emphasis that several viable site options are available elsewhere. A just and proper choice of site, stated the Corps, would not adversely and disproportionately impact Virginia's tribal cultures -cultures deeply interwoven with a natural environment already under extreme pressure from the onslaught of development. But deep-pocketed development interests have continued to stealthily maneuver to overturn the Army Corps' exhaustively researched and well-founded rejection of the massive project.

"The Green Party of Virginia is definite in taking this stand against this dam and reservoir," Mr. Clarke continued. "Passing this resolution sends a strong message: Virginia's Greens are resolute in their determination to act to bring justice for the tribes of eastern Virginia and insure protection of this treasured ecosystem. Greens will work hard with the growing coalition of reservoir opponents to determine the next steps needed to end the threat of the KWR once and for all."

Press inquiries and interviews are welcomed.

Additional information on the Green Party of the United States can be found at: http://www.gp.org

Additional information on the Virginia Green Party can be found at: http://vagreenparty.org/

GPVA Press Secretary: Miriam Gennari