Pennsylvania
Member of the Month
September 2007
Jan Keim, Lehigh Valley
Clean Water Action member Jan Keim is a resident of the Lehigh Valley where she has been an environmental activist for over 35 years. A past Township Commissioner in Salisbury Township (Lehigh County), Jan is Vice Chair of the Little Lehigh Watershed Coalition. In 2006, she was appointed to the Pennsylvania DEP's Citizens Advisory Council which provides policy advice to the DEP on a state-wide basis and does independent evaluations of DEP's performance.
Jan's interest in politics has led her to volunteer for Clean Water Action during elections. She has helped with phone banks to get pro-environmental candidates into office. She likes the fact that Clean Water Action is non-partisan, making its endorsement decisions on the basis of candidates' environmental stances.
A founding member of the Wildlands Conservancy, Jan has been active in the League of Women Voters, concentrating on their work on environmental issues. She is also a volunteer stream monitor with the R.S.V.P. program.
Jan's long-time concerns continue to be protection of the Little Lehigh Creek and its watershed and the preservation of South Mountain in the Lehigh Valley. The Creek and its tributaries run through Berks and Lehigh Counties. The stream has been proposed to receive the highest protection rating possible under PA law - Exceptional Value status. The Creek is a drinking water source for the City of Allentown and has been under increasing pressure by developers. Jan's tireless efforts to protect this vital, historic stream have earned her much credit in the environmental community.
South Mountain, which is part of the Little Lehigh watershed, contains many wetlands, springs and seeps which maintain area groundwater supplies and assure the quality of the Trout Creek, a Little Lehigh tributary. Jan is most vocal about preserving the natural areas of South Mountain.
"Elected officials know that when Jan Keim stands up in a meeting to speak, they better have some answers," says Rick Loomis of Clean Water Action's Allentown office. "She is a walking encyclopedia of information on the Little Lehigh watershed and she has files going back years to support her points."
Asked for a quote regarding her environmental work, Jan declined, saying, "When it comes to protecting the environment, actions speak louder than words!"
Clean Water Action salutes Jan Keim for her commitment to safe, healthy communities and thanks her for her continuing efforts.
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