Ohio Environmental Council

TO SECURE HEALTHY AIR, LAND, AND WATER FOR ALL WHO CALL OHIO HOME.

DURING FY21, THE OEC'S ADVOCACY EFFORTS CENTERED AROUND SEVERAL KEY AREAS, INCLUDING: ENERGY, CLEAN WATER, PUBLIC LANDS, DEMOCRACY, AS WELL AS JUSTICE, EQUITY, DIVERSITY, & INCLUSION (JEDI) AND CAMPAIGNS & COMMUNICATIONS. MOST NOTABLY ACROSS THESE AREAS, THE OEC GATHERED SIGNATURES AND COMMENTS IN SUPPORT OF STRONGER FEDERAL CLIMATE POLICIES AND SUPPORTED EFFORTS TO SECURE CARBON REDUCTION COMMITMENTS FROM OVER 20 MUNICIPALITIES ACROSS OHIO; PLAYED AN IMPORTANT PART IN THE RENEWAL OF $170 MILLION IN H2OHIO FUNDING AND HELPED SECURE RENEWED GREAT LAKES RESTORATION INITIATIVE FUNDING TO PROTECT AND RESTORE THE GREAT LAKES; HELPED PROTECT MORE THAN 40,000 ACRES OF THE WAYNE NATIONAL FOREST FROM OIL AND GAS DEVELOPMENT IN A MAJOR LEGAL VICTORY; CONTINUATION IN SCHEDULE O.EDUCATED HUNDREDS OF OHIOANS ABOUT THE REDISTRICTING PROCESSES AND SUPPORTED DOZENS OF COMMUNITY MAPMAKING WORKSHOPS. ADDITIONALLY, THE OEC LAW CENTER FILED 4 CASES AND AMICUS BRIEFS ON LAND, REDISTRICTING AND CLEAN ENERGY RELATED CASES IN FEDERAL AND STATE COURTS.

DURING FY21, THE OEC FIELD DEPARTMENT UTILIZED A VARIETY OF TACTICS AND LEVERAGED HIGH LEVEL RELATIONSHIPS AND PARTNERSHIP TO ACHIEVE VICTORIES FOR THE LAND, WATER, AIR, AND DEMOCRACY FOR ALL WHO CALL OHIO HOME. IN CLEVELAND, THE OEC WORKED WITH COALITION PARTNERS TO DEVELOP AND ADVANCE THE CLEVELAND COMPREHENSIVE ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY PLATFORM TO EDUCATE LOCAL CANDIDATES AND RESIDENTS ON ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE POLICIES. IN SOUTHEAST OHIO, WE CONTINUED OUR WORK TO DRIVE A LOCAL CAMPAIGN TO CREATE A NAMED BACKCOUNTRY AREA IN THE WAYNE NATIONAL FOREST THAT WOULD PROTECT UPWARDS OF 30,000 ACRES AND CREATE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES FOR LOCAL ECONOMIES OF SCALE THROUGHOUT SOME OF THE POOREST COUNTIES IN OHIO. CONTINUATION IN SCHEDULE O.IN NORTHEAST OHIO, THE OEC SUPPORTED LOCAL CLEAN ENERGY AND CLIMATE ACTION EFFORTS THROUGH THE POWER A CLEAN FUTURE OHIO CAMPAIGN. AND IN NORTHWEST OHIO, OUR 2021 PRIORITIES FOCUSED AROUND MAINTAINING ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE WATER FOR LOW INCOME RESIDENTS, INCLUDING THE PASSING ORDINANCES INFLUENCING WATER AFFORDABILITY, WATER ACCESS, AND EMERGING CONTAMINANTS.

DURING FY21, OEC'S COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT ENGAGED WITH 15,600 EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS AND 30,035 SOCIAL MEDIA FOLLOWERS TO ENHANCE OEC'S PROGRAMMATIC GOALS. WE WORKED WITH OUR POLICY EXPERTS AND FIELD ADVOCACY STAFF TO UPDATE OUR ADVOCACY TOOLKIT (HTTPS://THEOEC.ORG/ADVOCACY-TOOLKIT/) AND HOST A SERIES OF PRACTICAL TRAINING SESSIONS FOR OEC MEMBERS.

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