Now that 1991 is upon us, the time has come to look ahead and collectively develop a vision for the Watershed Management Council. As your newly elected President, I am looking forward to working with the members and officers in our organization, and hope that I can continue to guide and motivate this diverse and knowledgeable group as did Andy Leven, the outgoing President. Andy's dedication and leadership was instrumental during the formative years of the WMC. On behalf of the officers and the membership, I wish to extend our thanks and appreciation to Andy for a job well done. You are a tough act to follow Andy, but you're not off the hook yet!

The WMC currently supports six key committees that reflect the charter and objectives of our organization. They include: 1) Research and Legislation, 2) Education and Demonstration, 3) Conference, 4) Field Trip, 5) Nomination, and, 6) Newsletter. Each Board member Chairs a committee, and I encourage you to get involved and sign up as a committee member. Your involvement on a WMC committee will determine how effective and responsive our organization is in meeting our collective goals and objectives.

The 1990s herald a decade of changing environmental values and far-reaching regulations that will determine how watersheds are managed. This presents an opportunity for us to be proactive and provide avenues and forums for communication of good science-based information to policy makers, educators, and to the public. Public concerns about water quality, water supply, enhancement of environmental values, urbanization, global warming, and cumulative effects, to name a few, will only intensify regulatory pressures.

Science and technology, in many instances, are not considered in the decision making process, due in part to the breakdown in communication between technical professionals and regulators. The WMC can be a very effective tool in facilitating information exchange and technology transfer through support of educational programs, research and communications forums. But we need your participation, innovation and continued support to meet these challenges. So make it your New Year's resolution to get involved and help the WMC make a difference.

Happy New Year and I will look forward to working with you in 1991.

-Donna