Water Sentinels Leader Joins Corps Reform Network

Tim Guilfoile, Deputy Director of the Sierra Club Water Sentinels, has been elected as the Club's representative to the Corps Reform Network (CRN), a coalition of organizations from around the country that works to ensure that Army Corps of Engineers projects are economically and environmentally sound. Guilfoile was chosen by the CRN's steering committee in late March.

"This links the Water Sentinels to a national organization whose job it is to oversee Corps reform," Guilfoile says. "Many of the projects we're working on, including wetlands preservation and water quality, are impacted dramatically by the Corps of Engineers."

As the nation's largest water management agency, the magnitude of Corps of Engineers projects rivals that of any other federal agency or private company.

"Projects carried out by the Corps have a profound impact on our rivers, wetlands and coasts," says Guilfoile, "and all too often they harm the natural environment, waste taxpayer dollars, and put the public at greater risk from natural disasters. It's important that the Water Sentinels stay on top of Corps projects to make sure they're cost effective and environmentally sound by participating in the Corps Reform Network at the leadership level."

CRN's mission is to ensure our government's water resource laws, policies, projects and permits protect and restore our rivers, wetlands and coasts. To quote CRN's website: "A protected and effectively restored environment supports vibrant communities, strengthens economies, sustains fish and wildlife and provides natural defenses to the rising seas and more frequent flooding and water shortages resulting from global climate change."

An avid sportsman, Guilfoile formerly served as president of the Northern Kentucky Fly Fishers and vice president of the League of Kentucky Sportsmen. "I believe environmentalists and sportsmen have much in common because of their love for woods and waters," he says.

Guilfoile is a strong adherent of the Sportsman's Pledge, below. "I find it totally consistent with Sierra Club values," he says.