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ACA’s New State Directors Program


A


s the nation’s oldest and largest paddle- sports non-profit, the ACA has built a


strong reputation on making the world a better place to paddle through numerous education, stewardship, recreation and competition initia- tives. As a national organization, it can be dif- ficult to know all the paddling issues in every state. To that end, the ACA State Directors have volunteered to bridge the gap between paddlers on the ground and the national ACA office. The mission of the State Director Program is


to increase the effectiveness of the ACA at the state level by: • Facilitating communication between pad- dlers and the ACA national office


• Fostering community responsibility in protect- ing and preserving paddling environments


• Assisting others with acquiring the necessary skills to safely enjoy local waterways


• Promoting paddlesport competition at the local and state level


First Descent in Iraqi Kurdistan I


n May of 2014 a small group of paddlers set off to complete a first descent of the Choman-


Rawanduz River in Iraqi Kurdistan. While this expedition was certainly a paddling trip, it was also more than that. This was a mission to bring attention to the very serious water quality threats that rivers throughout the region are facing and to try to help build relationships between these riv- ers and the people that live along their banks. Led by ACA International Paddlesports Ambas-


sador Dave Burden, paddlers representing Nature Iraq and the Tigris Riverkeeper set out to paddle over 80 kilometers of Class II–IV whitewater over the course of nine days. More importantly, the expedition interacted with thousands of people along the way. Events were coordinated with the staff of the Halgurd-Sakran National Park (the first national park in Iraq) and the local leaders of towns along the river. When asked why they chose this river, Burden


explains, “The Choman-Rawanduz River is the last major undammed river in Iraq. It passes through two stunningly beautiful gorges that are packed with really fun, challenging rapids. This is an amazing river, and we still have a chance to protect and preserve it.” The main water quality threats in the region are


sewage, garbage, gravel mining and dams. The Choman-Rawanduz River has suffered some damage from all of these, but it is relatively minor damage. This is still a very viable river that can be restored to its natural splendor with a little bit of effort and buy-in from the riverside communities. Dams are planned that will drown this river and flood these gorges. If the Iraqi government were to


State Directors have the opportunity to enlist additional volunteers in the form of an Execu- tive Council to aid in the distribution of respon- sibilities. After a long application process, the following are your state’s new State Directors:


invest in waste water treatment plants and garbage collection sites instead of dams, the Choman- Rawanduz River could become an international example of investment in sustainable natural re- sources in an emerging economy.


It passes through two stunningly


beautiful gorges that are packed with really fun, challenging rapids


“We don’t expect to see a flood of paddlers com-


ing to Iraq any time soon, but now that this river has been run, we hope that it will pique the inter- est of paddlers around the world who are looking for new rivers to explore and new experiences to discover,” says Burden. “The Kurdish people have been wonderful hosts, and they were extremely excited to see us using the river this way.” This article initially concluded with an invita-


tion to paddle with us in Kurdistan on our next expedition, but the recent increase in militant activity in the region has reshuffled our plans for returning to Iraqi Kurdistan for the foreseeable fu- ture. We hope for a peaceful and prosperous future for the region and its people and look forward to our return to paddle more of their beautiful rivers.


Alaska .........................................Tom Pogson Arizona ......................................Danielle Keil Arkansas ....................................Tom Burroughs California ...................................Alexander Morris Colorado ....................................Gregory Skomp Connecticut ...............................Elizabeth O’Connor Delaware ....................................Clarke Green District of Columbia ................Meredith Waters Florida ........................................James Wallis Georgia.......................................John Traendly Hawaii ........................................Indar Lange Idaho ..........................................Elliot Jacobs Iowa ............................................Clark Fletcher Kentucky ....................................Nathan Depenbrock Louisiana ...................................Ben Sandmel Maine .........................................Randy Smith Maryland ...................................Bob Cianflone Massachusetts............................Samuel Gaughan Michigan ....................................Scott Fraser Minnesota ..................................David Englund, ......................................Bridget O’Boyle (Co-Directors) Mississippi .................................Brian Ramsey Missouri .....................................Dave Haessig Montana .....................................Alex Bergeron Nebraska ....................................Bruce Tomes New Hampshire ........................Patrick Perkins New Jersey .................................Kelly Bogan New Mexico...............................Christine Mollo New York ...................................Liane Amaral North Carolina ..........................Daniel Morris North Dakota ............................Clarence Bina Ohio............................................Ryan Pepper Oklahoma ..................................Aasim Saleh Oregon .......................................Cheri Holman Pennsylvania .............................Steve Barber Puerto Rico ................................Omar Ramos South Carolina ..........................Ethan Taley, ...........................................Kyle Thomas (Co-Directors) Tennessee ...................................Robert Snuck Texas ...........................................Lorraine McPhee U.S. Virgin Islands ....................David Paradise Vermont .....................................Nathan Lavery West Virginia.............................Melanie Seiler Wisconsin ..................................Thomas Schrader Wyoming ...................................Mark Hamlin


There are still some states without State


Directors. Volunteers are needed. For more information visit the ACA website.


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