Sign-up for News and Alerts
Michael Garrity
Washington State Conservation Director
Department: Conservation
Area of Focus: Michael oversees our work to protect and restore the rivers of Washington state.
Background: Michael joined American Rivers in 2000, working out of our Washington, D.C. headquarters on our campaign to restore the Snake River and its salmon. He moved back home to the Puget Sound area in 2003 to work out of our Seattle office -- where he continues to work on Columbia-Snake River issues among others. Prior to that he was a law clerk for the Washington State Court of Appeals and a legal intern for the Sierra Club.
Education: B.A. in History from the University of Washington, and J.D. and Environmental Law Specialization Certificate from Berkeley Law (Boalt Hall)
Favorite River: Grande Ronde River
Blog Posts By This Author
Restore the Yakima River and its salmon!
December 21, 2011 | Floods & Floodplains, Global Warming, Innovative Water Management, Water Supply, Wild and Scenic Rivers, Protecting Rivers, Water Efficiency, Storage & Stream Flows
For nearly three years, I've been working with the Yakama Indian Nation and conservation partners at the National Wildlife Federation, The Wilderness Society, and Trout Unlimited (among others) to negotiate a package of habitat restoration and protection and water management measures to restore central Washington’s Yakima River and its salmon and steelhead in a way that earns the lasting support of the Yakama Nation, local farmers, and local communities.
Read more »Time for solutions on the lower Snake River
June 10, 2011 | Dams & Dam Removal, Restoring Rivers
Any day now, Federal District Judge James A. Redden of Portland, OR is expected to issue his ruling on the 2010 Biological Opinion (BiOp) for the Columbia and Snake rivers. The BiOp, also known as the federal salmon plan, governs operations of the federal dams on the Columbia and Snake rivers and includes actions intended to address the harm the dams inflict on threatened and endangered salmon and steelhead.
Read more »A Pivotal Hearing for the Columbia and Snake Rivers
May 9, 2011 | Dams & Dam Removal, Restoring Rivers
This coming Monday there is a court hearing that will help determine the future of the Columbia and Snake rivers and their salmon. At stake is the legality of a plan for operating the federal dams on the Columbia and lower Snake -- American Rivers and its allies argue that the plan isn't strong enough to recover the legendary salmon and steelhead runs harmed by these dams.
Read more »Big opportunity (and big misperceptions) in the Yakima River basin
November 23, 2010 | Dams & Dam Removal, Floods & Floodplains, Global Warming, Greening Water Infrastructure, Restoring Rivers, Wild and Scenic Rivers, Small Streams & Wetlands, Water Supply, Water Efficiency, Protecting Rivers
Statement of American Rivers, National Wildlife Federation, The Wilderness Society, Conservation Northwest, and Washington Environmental Council on Yakima River water and salmon plan. Brock Evans’ article “Bumping Lake Ancient Forest – One of a Kind” in the summer/fall issue of The Wild Cascades accurately describes the magnificence of the old growth forest surrounding the upper end of Bumping Lake, located east of Mount Rainier in Washington state.
Read more »
