Carpenter, who holds a bachelor's degree in environmental studies, has been a grassroots environmental advocate since the early 1970s. He was elected to the Rome City Council in the 1980s. Carpenter was responsible for starting the local Old Erie Audubon Chapter, and later he worked closely with The Nature Conservancy in its efforts to conserve the Rome Sand Plains.

In 1992, he was instrumental in the creation of NYRU, formed in response to the pressing need for one organization to coordinate and promote an effective statewide river management strategy. Carpenter’s vision was to put water back into dry riverbeds, remove unnecessary dams, guarantee minimum river flows, increase whitewater and other recreational opportunities, and protect free public access to rivers.

Today Carpenter continues to lead NYRU resource advocacy programs. He has participated in virtually every hydropower licensing and relicensing proceeding in New York since 1992 — more than 50 in all. As a result of his advocacy, hundreds of miles of dry river bed in New York have been restored to natural flows and power companies have committed millions of dollars to environmental and recreational enhancements.

Carpenter has developed broad expertise in hydro issues and is increasingly recognized as a state and national leader in this specialized field. He has been appointed to numerous national hydropower review teams and has served as panelist at hydro relicensing forums across the country.

Under Carpenter’s leadership, NYRU’s river conservation achievements have won numerous accolades, including the "Conservationist-of-the-Year" Award, Adirondack Council's highest honor; the Northern Forest Alliance's annual "Northern Forest Wildland Protection Award"; and the Utica Zoological Society’s annual "Sinnott Conservation Award."

Carpenter currently serves on the Steering Committee of the national Hydropower Reform Coalition and as a member of the Electric Power Research Institute-sponsored National Review Team on hydro relicensing. He has also served on the Federal Advisory Committee reviewing the Interagency Task Force on Hydro Relicensing.

Carpenter is also a member on the New York State Open Space Committee and the Great Lakes United's Habitat and Biodiversity Task Force. Most recently he was appointed as the New York State Coordinator of the national Clean Water Network.

Email: bruce_carpenter@newyorkriversunited.org

In his current role at NYRU, Lopushinsky is actively pursuing dam removal/barrier mitigation in New York State. He presently serves as coordinator of a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service- sponsored effort to develop a N.Y.S. Strategic Dam Removal Plan and a collaborative Great Lakes Protection Fund effort by NYRU, Ohio State University, and the State University of New York’s College of Environmental Science and Forestry. Lopushinsky also sits on the statewide Hydrologic Habitat Modification Workgroup and the multi-state Northeast Stream Barrier Task Force.

Lopushinsky earned a B.S. degree in Environmental Science/Biology from Union College (New York). Previously, he was the Environmental Planner for Delaware County, NY, where he developed a comprehensive Storm Water program within the Cannonsville Basin (New York City Watershed). He later served as the Environmental Director of the Summit Lake Paiute Tribe in Nevada. In this capacity he developed Water Quality Standards, Watershed Rules and Regulations, Sensitive Areas Ordinance and a host of regulatory and programmatic structures to assist the tribe in protection of the Lahontan Cutthroat Trout while allowing for orderly and efficient growth and development.

He has an undergraduate degree in English and holds Masters degrees in education and in public relations. He has been a public school English teacher, an administrator and a union contract negotiator.

Email: tim_burns@newyorkriversunited.org