American Rivers Receives $100,000 Grant from Washington Women’s Foundation
June 20, 2018
Contact: Wendy McDermott, 970-275-2057
Amy Kober, 503-708-1145
Seattle — American Rivers announced today that it has been awarded a two-year, $100,000 grant from the Washington Women’s Foundation’s Pooled Fund to protect and restore rivers in the Puget Sound and Columbia River basins in Washington state.
The grant will enable American Rivers to advance work to protect the region’s last wild rivers, improve flood protection, and ensure sustainable water supplies for today’s communities and future generations.
“Washington is defined by water, but the region’s rivers and water supplies are under tremendous pressure from threats including dams, pollution and climate change,” said Wendy McDermott, Rivers of Puget Sound and Columbia Basin Director for American Rivers.
“If you turn on your water faucet every day, eat Washington-grown food, drink locally produced beer or wine, live or work in a floodplain, or enjoy the region’s outstanding natural areas, you should be concerned about the future of our rivers.”
American Rivers has a long presence in Washington, with a track record of protecting and restoring the region’s iconic rivers including the Columbia-Snake, Yakima, White, Elwha, White Salmon and many others.
“American Rivers has been a leading conservation advocacy organization in the Pacific Northwest for more than 20 years, literally working ‘upstream’ with policymakers and state leaders to strike a balance between our communities’ needs and the health of our state’s rivers,” said Beth McCaw, Washington Women’s Foundation President and CEO. “It is a privilege to invest in their important work.”
With support from the Washington Women’s Foundation, American Rivers is pursuing the following specific goals:
1) Permanently protect healthy rivers and streams as Wild and Scenic;
2) Improve management of floodplains and restore floodplains and meadows;
3) Restore access to habitat for native fish by removing dams and/or improving fish passage facilities; and
4) Advance innovative projects aimed at reducing polluted water from flowing into Puget Sound, reducing the risk of harmful floods, and supplying clean water throughout Washington.
“We are committed to protecting the rivers that support this state’s economy, environment and quality of life, and we are grateful to the Washington Women’s Foundation for the generous grant to advance our critical conservation efforts. We have the pragmatism and experience to achieve significant conservation outcomes benefitting both rivers and communities,” McDermott said.
About American Rivers
American Rivers protects wild rivers, restores damaged rivers and conserves clean water for people and nature. Since 1973, American Rivers has protected and restored more than 150,000 miles of rivers through advocacy efforts, on-the-ground projects and an annual America’s Most Endangered Rivers® campaign. Headquartered in Washington, DC, American Rivers has offices across the country and more than 275,000 members, supporters and volunteers.
Rivers connect us to each other, nature, and future generations. Find your connections at AmericanRivers.org, Facebook.com/AmericanRivers and Twitter.com/AmericanRivers.