![]() I have seen this connection myself as a dad. Our rivers connect us bring us together define our history set our borders give us a place to live, to drink, and to play and provide us with a place to worship and pray. ![]() Indeed, all cultures, throughout the ages, have felt this connection to the rivers or other great waters that run through their lands. Thro' the sycamores the candle lights are gleaming,Ĭoincidentally, the State of Florida, where my grandfather would spend the rest of his life, has its own official State song that begins with these words: Oh, the moonlight's fair tonight along the Wabash,įrom the fields there comes the breath of new mown hay. One part of the State song goes like this: If you’re from Indiana or have ever attended the Indianapolis 500, you may know the words. Indeed, the State song is titled “On the Banks of the Wabash, Far Away.” Undoubtedly, my grandfather thought of this song, published in the late 1890s, when he penned his own poem about the Wabash River. The Wabash River had a similar effect on many who have called Indiana home. The Wabash in leisurely flow, my heart holds forever in its secret boxĪs its beams sift down from the hills on the west to the river far below. Though these eyes of mine shall not see again To the land of my fathers I said ‘goodbye’, He titled his poem, “Reverie in Amber.” In one part of the poem, he wrote: As I read it again a few weeks ago, it occurred to me that he was feeling the same connection so many of us feel for the water around us. His poem was written a few years after he left Indiana in search of new opportunities in Florida. Born in West Lafayette, Indiana, my grandfather lived his childhood years along the banks of the Wabash River. Recently, when going through some older documents, I came across a poem written in 1958 by my grandfather, John Culver Sample. Washington loved the Potomac and called it “one of the finest Rivers in the world.” ![]() And each day, while commuting to the Justice Department, I cross over the Potomac River on which President Washington lived most of his life and built his fortune. I just returned from visiting the Columbia River in Oregon where I saw firsthand how that majestic waterway is a centerpiece of the economy, culture, and history of the people living in the Pacific Northwest. I am sure that is the case here where we are meeting today, on the beautiful Savannah River. It is true that we tend to connect with the waterways where we live. Our Division’s role in clean water is one reason why I am so proud to be at ENRD where our lawyers work every day to support this resource that is essential to my family, your families, and all of us. From advocacy for sound, effective, and smart policies to creative public information efforts like the “Toilets Are Not Trashcans” campaign to investing billions of dollars in clean water infrastructure, you are making positive contributions to our families, communities, and nation. What you do to ensure clean water is vitally important. The Division is focused on its unique roles and responsibilities under federal law implementation of President Trump’s infrastructure, energy, national security, and regulatory reform programs and the law enforcement agenda of Attorney General Jeff Sessions.īefore turning to our work at the Justice Department, I’d like to take a moment to applaud the work of NACWA and your members. I appreciate the opportunity today to discuss the work of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division or “ENRD.” Having now led ENRD as the Acting Assistant Attorney General for nearly ten months, I have come to even more fully appreciate what a powerful force for good ENRD is in our country-both through our work to protect clean water, clean air, and clean land, and through our defense of the rule of law and good governance by our client agencies. Thank you, Mickey and Erica, for that kind introduction and to NACWA for inviting me to kick off your National Water Enforcement workshop.
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