FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:Captain Bill Sheehan or Hugh Carola

Hackensack, NJ – Under a waving American flag, Hackensack Riverkeeper, the citizen-steward of the Hackensack River Watershed, formally opened its new outreach office at 231 Main Street in Hackensack. "Today represents the fulfillment of a dream," said Captain Bill Sheehan at the ribbon-cutting ceremony, "Hackensack Riverkeeper has arrived in the capital of the watershed ready to continue our work on behalf of the people of the watershed." On hand to officially open the office were US Congressman Steven R. Rothman (D-9th), Hackensack Mayor John F. "Jack" Zisa (R), and a host of well-wishers and supporters.

Guests attending the event and passers-by were treated to the sight of Hackensack Riverkeeper's new flagship, the 28-foot "Edward Abbey" parked in front of the building with Andrew Carola of the Kearny Caledonian Pipe Band providing a musical backdrop. Refreshments were served throughout the day as friends and neighbors stopped by for a tour of the new headquarters.

The funding to purchase the building, the site of the former Arrow Stationery store, came from a settlement agreement between the State of New Jersey and Columbia Terminals, Inc. of Kearny. The company, which last year pleaded guilty to a series of environmental crimes, was instructed to make restitution payments to three regional environmental advocacy organizations; one of them being Hackensack Riverkeeper. "We constantly 'talk the talk' about re-development being the key to both economic growth and environmental preservation," said Capt. Sheehan, "by setting up shop here on Main Street, Hackensack, USA, we're showing everyone that we can also 'walk the walk."'

Hackensack Riverkeeper began its mission to protect, preserve and restore the Hackensack River in 1997 after receiving its charter from the international Waterkeeper Alliance, based in White Plains, NY. At that time, Capt. Sheehan ran the organization literally from his dining room table in Secaucus. In September 1998, the administration of Fairleigh Dickinson University offered the organization office space on its Teaneck campus where it was officially "in residence" until the recent move. Hackensack Riverkeeper has now grown in influence and ability to the point where it is recognized as the leading environmental organization working on Hackensack River issues.

The Hackensack River, which stretches from the High Tor Mountains of Rockland County, NY to Newark Bay, provides the drinking water for nearly one million people and the watershed's remaining forests and wetlands provide essential habitat for a wide variety of resident and migratory animal species.