River Network
River Network’s mission is to empower and unite people and communities to protect and restore rivers and other waters that sustain the health of our country.
We envision a future where everyone has access to plentiful clean water, providing prosperity, health and recreational opportunities for all. We work for the day when all people feel responsibility for their local river, lake, wetland or bay and have the capacity to effectively protect those resources.
520 SW 6th Avenue, Suite 1130, Portland, OR 97204
Phone: (503) 241-3506 | Fax: (503) 241-9256
http://www.rivernetwork.org | info@rivernetwork.org
Phone: (503) 241-3506 | Fax: (503) 241-9256
http://www.rivernetwork.org | info@rivernetwork.org
What does a $100 contribution do for this organization?
$100 enables River Network to supply resources, telephone and email assistance to one grassroots watershed organization for a year. ****
$100 prints and distributes 4 copies of River Network’s landmark publication: "The Clean Water Act Owner’s Manual." ****
$100 enables River Network to assist a grassroots Partner group with travel expenses to a critical training or to attend the annual National River Rally. ****
Why does this donor support this organization?
"The Spirit Mountain Community Fund is pleased to support River Network. We are deeply concerned about preserving the rivers of Western Oregon and applaud the work of River Network in furthering this mission." Adam Henny, interim Director of the Spirit Mountain Community Fund ****
“I’m grateful to River Network. The existence of a national service-oriented organization that helps river folks network and learn from one another is a tremendous resource.” Russ Plaeger, Sandy River Watershed Council, Oregon ****
How do volunteers make a difference for this organization?
We rely on a volunteer board of directors and a volunteer advisory group to determine objectives and oversee fiscal operations. Volunteer researchers and peer reviewers also assist in the development of our many publications. Student interns and volunteers assist with web research and mailings in our Portland office.
Since its founding in 1988, River Network has been the national “go-to” environmental organization where grassroots groups from every state in the country can turn for support, resources, guidance and learning around watershed management and conservation issues.
Headquartered in Portland, Oregon, the strength of River Network
comes from our more than 600 affiliated partner groups located in every state
and larger network of more than 5,000 entities focused on local water issues
nationwide.
In addition to providing these groups with organizational,
technical and networking assistance, we serve as catalysts and coordinators for
major projects requiring national leadership and collaboration among widely
separated organizations and agencies.
We are especially proud to work with 26 local Partner organizations protecting the health of our water, land, habitat and people throughout Oregon.
Our work is guided by our five core principles:
1) lead our network by listening and empowering our partners;
2) advance bottom up and top down connections between local community groups and national leaders;
3) work across political jurisdictions to focus on nature’s boundaries and hydrologic cycle;
4) use sound science to inform model political, social and economic decisions that can be replicated for larger impact; and
5) amplify the power of local grassroots groups and alliances for collective action.
In 2010, River Network will launch its new grassroots action plan. We designed our new strategic plan to maximize the ability of the river and watershed protection community to rise to the opportunity before us. The plan includes four strategic goals:
- An effective grassroots movement of citizens, organizations and decision-makers has the capacity to protect the health of all fresh waters and the communities they support.
- Fish, wildlife and birds thrive in clean, flowing rivers that provide rich habitat both in the water and on surrounding land.
- Healthy river systems provide abundant clean water to sustain our health and avert the environmental injustice of pollution.
- More efficient human use of water and energy reduces the impacts of climate change and improves river health.
These four goals of our new strategic plan all include specific measurable benchmarks for what we hope to achieve by the year 2015. As we launch the initial year of the plan, we’ve also adopted some key Action Priorities that will guide our work over the next 12 months, ensuring that we build momentum quickly. They include:
- Launch our “Blue Cities” initiative to help our network of groups guide federal water infrastructure funding to projects that create rain gardens, restore wetlands and floodplains, and decouple storm water and sewer systems;
- Work with state water programs to ensure that fish, wildlife and birds thrive in clean, flowing rivers that provide rich habitat both in the water and on surrounding land;
- Create EnvironmentalHealthConnect, a national resource network of toxicologists, epidemiologists, hydrologists, and public health professionals that will volunteer or offer reduced fee services to help disadvantaged communities to have access to clean water supplies;
- Organize and lead a national Steering Committee of experts in water resources, energy policy and climate change to shape and guide new policies to reduce our water consumption and water-related greenhouse gas emissions.
