John Seebach
Senior Director, Federal River Management
Department: Conservation
Area of Focus: John works to reduce the harm that hydropower dams cause to fish, wildlife, recreation, and the local communities that depend on these resources to survive and thrive. He serves as the Chair of the Hydropower Reform Coalition.
Background: John served as the National Coordinator for the Hydropower Reform Coalition starting in 2005 (he now serves as its chair) and then directed American Rivers' Hydropower Reform program from 2007- 2011. In 2012, John was promoted to oversee the organization's work on federal river management issues, including our hydropower, flood, and western water policy work.
A Kentucky native, John has been an avid hiker, canoeist and kayaker for as long as he can remember.
Education: B.A. in English Literature from Davidson College, and M.A in International Relations with a concentration in Environmental Dispute Resolution from the University of Kentucky
Favorite River: Chattooga River
Blog Posts By This Author
Making Hydropower Dams Work Better
September 22, 2011 | Dams & Dam Removal, Hydropower
Removing a dam is a great way to restore a river, but what about hydropower dams that society depends on? American Rivers has a long history of working to make those dams work better.
Read more »Is hydropower clean? Our take on dams
June 17, 2011 | Dams & Dam Removal, Hydropower
American Rivers Hydropower Reform Initiative is one of our longest-running and best-known programs. We’ve been working with power companies and federal operators since we were founded nearly 40 years ago to try and reduce the harm to rivers from hydropower dams. As a result, we’re often asked if we see a tension between our serious concerns about climate change and our support for renewable energy on one hand and our concern about new dam construction.
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