We are thrilled to present this Annual Report for fiscal year 2019, as the year marks our 20th anniversary of connecting the world through water! Hitting an important milestone like a 20th anniversary presents an excellent opportunity to look back at how far we have come and to look forward to our future. In 1999, when Waterkeeper Alliance was born and I was working for Hudson Riverkeeper, there were 35 Waterkeepers in two countries on one continent. At the close of this fiscal year, there were 346 Waterkeeper groups in 46 countries on six continents!
This annual report documents stories, challenges, and successes of our growing movement all over the world, from expanding our network into new African countries and the Middle East, to successful training summits, to the decisive victory in our legal challenge of the 2015 federal coal ash disposal rules, a victory that was dubbed one of the six most significant environmental law rulings in the first half of 2019. And we are proud to continue to maintain top rankings on all charity rating sites.
I continue to be inspired by our talented team and by our Waterkeepers around the world who fight daily to stand up for their beloved bay, river, lake, or stretch of coastline. They understand that apathy is the ultimate enemy of positive change and meaningful progress. If you care about the future, being a bystander is not an option. A Waterkeeper is out there day after day fighting for your right to clean water. We are very grateful for your support as we transform the local fight for clean water into a powerful, coordinated global movement to solve the biggest challenge of our time.
