Federal lawsuit filed to uphold EPA’s Yazoo Pumps veto
CONTACT:
Audubon Mississippi – Jill Mastrototaro, (504) 481-3659, jill.mastrototaro@audubon.org
American Rivers – Olivia Dorothy, (217) 390-3658, odorothy@americanrivers.org
Earthjustice – Stu Gillespie, (303) 996-9616, sgillespie@earthjustice.org
Healthy Gulf – Andrew Whitehurst, (601) 954-7236, andrew@healthygulf.org
Mississippi Sierra Club – Louie Miller, (601) 624-3503, louie.miller@sierraclub.org
Washington, DC – Today, a coalition of conservation organizations filed a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s last-minute revocation of a Clean Water Act veto that has protected some the richest wetland and aquatic resources in the Nation since 2008. This revocation opens the door for construction and operation of the same project prohibited by the 2008 veto—a massive pumping plant known as the Yazoo Pumps that would drain tens of thousands of acres of hemispherically significant wetlands in an ecologically rich and sparsely populated area of Mississippi known as the Yazoo Backwater Area.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) buried its veto revocation in a cover letter transmitting scathing comments to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on the Yazoo Pumps’ Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement. EPA’s revocation ignores the facts on the ground, the explicit terms of the 2008 veto, and the requirements of the Clean Water Act.
EPA has used its Clean Water Act veto authority very sparingly, issuing just 13 vetoes since the law was enacted in 1972, out of nearly 2 million projects approved during that timeframe. EPA has never before revoked a veto.
Earthjustice filed the lawsuit in federal court today on behalf of American Rivers, National Audubon Society, Sierra Club, and Healthy Gulf.
Joint Statement by American Rivers, National Audubon Society, Sierra Club, Healthy Gulf, and Earthjustice:
“Today’s lawsuit delivers a clear, resounding message that EPA’s assault on the law, science, and the public’s voice will not be tolerated. The case challenges EPA’s last-minute decision to exempt the Yazoo Pumps from a conclusive Clean Water Act veto that was issued in 2008 to protect some of our country’s most valuable natural resources. EPA’s stunning reversal defies the explicit terms of the agency’s own veto, violates the Clean Water Act, and disregards core principles of administrative law that include ensuring due public process.
EPA has blinded itself to the facts on the ground, its own scientific and legal analyses, and the extensive record supporting the 2008 veto. The current proposal is based on the same flawed methodologies that EPA decisively rejected in 2008, and would not deliver flood relief to communities by leaving 82% to 89% of flooded lands underwater.3 The project will have devastating impacts to globally important wetlands, waters, and wildlife.
During the public comment period on the Corps’ 2020 proposal that concluded in November, more than 50,500 citizens, scientists, and public interest groups urged the Corps to abandon this ineffective, destructive project, and instead prioritize immediate, sustainable flood solutions to benefit local communities. Ninety-four percent of the comments received by the Corps were against the Pumps and called for commonsense natural infrastructure and non-structural approaches available now to help protect people’s lives, property and livelihoods, such as elevating homes and roads, and paying farmers to restore cropland back to wetlands.4
EPA’s decision has no basis in fact or reality, and signals that political motivations have trumped the agency’s sworn duties. We look forward to holding EPA fully accountable for its unlawful actions, to ensure the public’s voice is heard, and to safeguard the environmental protections bestowed on this globally significant area.”
Resources:
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December 21, 2020
Contact: Amy Kober, 503-708-1145
Washington – American Rivers applauded the U.S. Congress today for including critical provisions for clean water and healthy rivers in economic stimulus legislation. The Consolidated Appropriations Act includes the Water Resources Development Act as well as key actions for western water, which are important steps toward preparing our rivers and communities for the impacts of climate change.
“In addition to delivering some much-needed relief for families struggling during the pandemic and economic downturn, Congress advanced solutions that improve river and water management,” said Bob Irvin, president of American Rivers.
Passing the Water Resources Development Act of 2020 allows the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to make critical investments in natural flood management, including reconnecting and restoring floodplains and wetlands. Congress sent a clear message to the Army Corps that in order to improve the nation’s resilience to flooding it should not continue to rebuild damaged levees — which harm river health and can make flood damage worse — but should instead use nature-based approaches that reconnect rivers to floodplains and provide clean water and improved river health for communities.
In the Water Resources Development Act, Congress instructed the Corps to quickly implement long-delayed rules that will better incorporate nature-based approaches and the value of ecosystems into Corps projects.
The Water Resources Development Act includes provisions that:
- Require the Corps to implement the Principles, Requirements and Guidelines for Water and Land Related Resources Implementation Studies, developed under the Obama administration. The new project planning guidelines will mean the Corps can better incorporate nature-based approaches and the value of ecosystems into projects.
- Increase the adoption of nature-based approaches to reduce flood damage by setting the non-federal cost share for a project at 35 percent, ensuring the Corps considers nature-based approaches for every flood project, and allowing nature-based approaches to be implemented under the Small Flood Control Projects program.
- Establish a federally funded pilot program to study the feasibility of flood risk reduction projects in economically disadvantaged communities.
- Benefit the Mississippi and Missouri rivers, named America’s Most Endangered Rivers of 2020, by authorizing watershed studies to identify root causes of flooding and increasing funding for restoration, science and monitoring.
“This legislation is a major step toward improving river health and climate resilience for communities impacted by flooding. Despite several concerning provisions that will result in new investments in dams and traditional infrastructure projects, on balance this bill will make natural infrastructure and floodplain restoration more commonplace,” said Eileen Shader, director of floodplain restoration for American Rivers. “That is good news for people and wildlife.”
The omnibus legislation also includes important provisions for improving water management in the west, including:
- Improving Bureau of Reclamation grant programs for water conservation and efficiency, drought response, and ecological resiliency
- Providing important funding for scientific advances and improved technology to assist with water supplies and planning
- Recognizing tribal water rights and funding projects that will provide access to clean safe drinking water and other critical water supplies:
American Rivers’ keystone report, “Rivers as Economic Engines”, recommended Congress dedicate $500 billion over the next decade to boost federal clean water infrastructure and river restoration to strengthen communities nationwide. American Rivers urged Congress to pass a significant infrastructure package that will create jobs and revitalize the economy while improving river health.
About American Rivers
American Rivers believes a future of clean water and healthy rivers for everyone, everywhere is essential. Since 1973, we have protected wild rivers, restored damaged rivers and conserved clean water for people and nature. With headquarters in Washington, D.C., and 300,000 supporters, members and volunteers across the country, we are the most trusted and influential river conservation organization in the United States, delivering solutions for a better future. Because life needs rivers.
December 18, 2020
Contact: Amy Kober, 503-708-1145
Bob Irvin, President of American Rivers, released the following statement today in response to President-elect Joe Biden’s nomination of Michael Regan, who currently heads the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality, as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency:
“We congratulate Michael Regan on his nomination to lead the Environmental Protection Agency. He is a champion for clean water, climate solutions and environmental justice. His track record prioritizing science and equity makes him an excellent choice to address the challenges facing our rivers and communities.
Under his leadership, the Department of Environmental Quality developed North Carolina’s first climate mitigation and resilience plan, which will improve community safety in the face of floods and droughts and help protect river health. He has also advanced efforts to improve water management to safeguard clean drinking water and ecosystems while ensuring water supplies can support the needs of agriculture and communities.
Secretary Regan has prioritized environmental justice, highlighting how Black, Indigenous, people of color and low-income communities are disproportionately impacted by pollution, flooding and other threats. He worked to tackle these disparities, launching the Environmental Justice and Equity Board to inform DEQ decision making.
Healthy rivers are part of the solution to the biggest challenges facing our country, including climate change, the economy, public health, and injustice. We urge swift passage of Secretary Regan’s nomination by the Senate, and we look forward to working with him to ensure investment in healthy rivers is a top priority.”
December 17, 2020
Contact: Amy Kober, 503-708-1145
Bob Irvin, President of American Rivers, released the following statement today in response to President-elect Joe Biden’s nomination of Representative Deb Haaland as Secretary of the Interior:
“We congratulate Rep. Haaland on her historic nomination to lead the Department of the Interior. She brings strong leadership and deep commitment to the conservation of our nation’s public lands and waters. A member of the Laguna Pueblo People and a 35th-generation New Mexican, she will be the first Native American to serve as Secretary of the Interior.
Once confirmed by the Senate, Rep. Haaland will represent a new chapter for the department that has a unique trust relationship with sovereign tribes and oversees conservation and management of thousands of miles of rivers and 500 million acres of public lands including national parks, wildlife refuges and the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. Rep. Haaland has expressed her understanding of the importance of rivers such as the Rio Grande, San Juan and Gila.
Healthy rivers can be part of the solution to the biggest challenges facing our country, including climate change, the economy, public health, and injustice. We look forward to working with Secretary Haaland and the Biden-Harris administration to ensure investment in healthy rivers is a top priority.”
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: December 11, 2020
CONTACT:
Audubon Mississippi – Jill Mastrototaro, (504) 481-3659, jill.mastrototaro@audubon.org
American Rivers – Olivia Dorothy, (217) 390-3658, odorothy@americanrivers.org
Healthy Gulf – Andrew Whitehurst, (601) 954-7236, andrew@healthygulf.org
Mississippi Sierra Club – Louie Miller, (601) 624-3503, louie.miller@sierraclub.org
JACKSON, Miss. – Today, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) hastily released a Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (FSEIS) for a massive drainage project in Mississippi’s South Delta commonly known as the Yazoo Pumps.¹
This announcement follows mere days after the close of the public comment period on the draft study, which was heavily criticized due to its many flaws. An antiquated project authorized by Congress in 1941, the Yazoo Pumps are so environmentally destructive that the George W. Bush’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) stopped it by issuing a Clean Water Act veto – only one of 13 vetoes ever issued. Last week, however, the EPA Region 4 Office abruptly reversed course and exempted the recent proposal from the veto without any independent environmental analysis or public process.
Statement by Aforementioned Conservation Groups:
“Today’s announcement is further evidence of the Corps’ reckless effort to approve this unlawful project at all costs and without taking the time to address the fatal flaws in its proposal. The Corps’ headlong rush forward demonstrates a blatant, calculated attempt to steamroll the rule of law, ignore science, and disregard public comments and concerns.
Releasing this final study only days after more than 55,000 citizens, scientists, and public interest groups registered their widespread opposition to the incomplete and legally flawed draft proposal demonstrates an appalling breach of trust by a federal agency to expedite a sham process driven by politics rather than due public process and respect for bedrock environmental laws.
This rushed process is a disservice to the public and the agency itself. A key purpose of the public comment is to give the Corps an opportunity to carefully analyze and address the public’s concerns. The Corps has clearly short-circuited that process by intentionally failing to address the many shortcomings identified during the recent public comment period.
The Corps’ latest proposal is virtually identical in purpose, scope, and design to the plan EPA rejected in 2008 because it would cause unacceptable impacts to globally important wetlands, waters, and wildlife.
The current proposal is proof positive the Pumps were never designed to protect communities from flooding. The Corps’ draft study revealed a stunning conclusion that, even with the Pumps installed, 82% to 89% of flooded lands in the Yazoo Backwater would remain underwater, and it would take weeks to months to drawdown floodwaters on the remaining lands.² This reinforces what the Corps made clear in 2007; 80% of project benefits would be for agriculture by draining tens of thousands of acres of wetlands to intensify farming.
Rather than continuing to waste more time and taxpayer money on a long-vetoed project, estimated to cost at least $500 million³, priority should be on providing commonsense natural infrastructure and non-structural approaches that are available today to help protect people’s lives, property and livelihoods, such as elevating homes and roads, and paying farmers to restore cropland back to wetlands.⁴
These more effective, affordable and ecologically sustainable solutions are precisely the alternatives that EPA’s 2008 veto recommended for consideration, yet the Corps ignored federal laws by refusing to consider any other flood relief options except the outdated, ineffective Pumps.
Our groups will hold the Corps and EPA fully accountable for the intentional abdication of their lawful responsibilities to the public and our nation’s treasured natural resources.”
Resources:
2) Corps’ October 16, 2020, Draft SEIS, Appendix C (Tables), Table 5.3
3) Adjusted for inflation. The Corps’ 2007 Final EIS estimated the Yazoo Pumps would cost $440 million dollars to construct. The Corps did not provided an updated cost estimate in the 2020 Draft Supplemental EIS.
4) Conservation Organizations’ Alternative Flood Relief Solutions to the Yazoo Pumps
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Announcement ensures dam removal on Klamath River will proceed
November 17, 2020
Contact: Amy Kober, 503-708-1145
American Rivers today applauded the Karuk and Yurok tribes, the states of Oregon and California, the Klamath River Renewal Corporation (KRRC) and Berkshire Hathaway for announcing an agreement that ensures dam removal on the Klamath River will proceed.
A recent ruling by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) created uncertainty when it required dam owner PacifiCorp, a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway, to remain as a co-licensee. Now, Oregon and California will submit a request to FERC to join KRRC as co-licensees, allowing PacifiCorp to relinquish its license. KRRC will manage the dam removal project. Pre-construction activities are scheduled to begin in 2022, with dam demolition beginning in early 2023.
Bob Irvin, President and CEO of American Rivers, made the following statement:
“Today’s announcement keeps this critical river restoration effort on track, which will revitalize salmon runs, restore clean water and river health, and begin to heal decades of harm to the basin’s Indigenous Peoples. It will be the biggest dam removal project the world has ever seen.”
“We applaud Governor Gavin Newsom and Governor Kate Brown for their commitment to restoring the Klamath River and we are grateful for the leadership of the Karuk, Yurok and Klamath tribes in getting us to today’s milestone. We are thankful to PacifiCorp and Berkshire Hathaway for working on a solution that benefits all parties.”
“The governors’ action underscores the importance of a healthy, free-flowing Klamath River to the communities, economy and future of Oregon and California. Dam removal is in the best interest of local communities and PacifiCorp ratepayers. It’s time to make it happen and bring this river back to life.”
The four dams – Copco 1, Copco 2, Iron Gate and JC Boyle block habitat and have devastated salmon populations. The reservoirs behind the dams encourage growth of algae that is toxic to people, pets and wildlife. Removing the dams will restore salmon access to more than 400 miles of habitat, improve water quality and strengthen local communities that rely on salmon for their economy and culture.
The dams provide no drinking water supply or irrigation. PacifiCorp agreed to dam removal in 2016 because the dams’ costs outweighed their benefits. Power from the dams will be replaced using renewables and efficiency measures, without contributing to climate change. In 2008, the Public Utilities Commissions in Oregon and California concluded that removing the dams, (instead of spending more than $500 million to bring the dams up to modern standards), would save PacifiCorp customers more than $100 million.
KRRC expects dam deconstruction and river restoration to create several hundred jobs in the Klamath Basin. Klamath salmon support commercial fisheries worth $150 million per year and the recreation industry contributes millions to the local Klamath Basin economy, according to KRRC.
More than 1,700 dams have been removed nationwide, according to the database maintained by American Rivers.
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November 7, 2020
Contact: Amy Kober, 503-708-1145, akober@americanrivers.org
Washington — The election of Joe Biden as the 46th President of the United States presents a historic opportunity to protect and restore the nation’s rivers and ensure clean water for all.
“We congratulate President-elect Biden on his victory and we look forward to working with his administration to repair the damage done to rivers over the past four years. By uniting around healthy rivers, we can improve public health and safety, create jobs, and improve lives in communities nationwide,” said Bob Irvin, President of American Rivers.
“At a time when millions of people in our country lack safe, clean, affordable water, COVID-19 is devastating public health and the economy, and climate change is impacting communities with flooding and drought, investment in healthy rivers must be a top national priority,” Irvin said.
American Rivers pledged to work with the Biden administration and Congress to enact and implement five ambitious policy initiatives. The five priorities in American Rivers’ 2021 Blueprint for Action are:
- Invest in rivers and clean water to recover from COVID-19
- Reverse regulatory rollbacks and restore strong, effective federal protection for rivers and clean water
- Improve protection and management of the nation’s floodplains
- Launch a national initiative to prioritize and fund dam removals
- Increase protection of Wild and Scenic rivers
Rivers and their clean, free-flowing waters nourish our bodies, spirits and communities. Their lush habitats safeguard wildlife. They connect us to our history, to our future and to each other. Yet, rivers and freshwater ecosystems are among the most imperiled on earth. Millions of people in the U.S. lack access to clean, safe, affordable water with Black, Latino and Indigenous communities disproportionately impacted. Forty-four percent of assessed waterways in the U.S. are too polluted for fishing and swimming, and forty percent of North America’s freshwater species are at risk of extinction. Climate change is bringing more severe droughts and floods, putting increasing pressure on water resources across the country.
“The nearly three million miles of rivers running across our country are a source of great strength and opportunity,” Irvin said. “We are eager to work with the new Biden administration to ensure a future of clean water and healthy rivers everywhere, for everyone.”
October 27, 2020
Contact: Scott Bosse, (406) 570-0455
Senator Jon Tester (D-MT) today announced his plans to introduce legislation to safeguard 336 miles of rivers vital to Montana’s economy and way of life. American Rivers and its partners conducted extensive outreach in local communities over the past nine years to identify which rivers flowing across federal public lands are cherished most by Montanans for their outstanding scenic, recreational, fish and wildlife and cultural values.
The Montana Headwaters Legacy Act will protect many of the most pristine headwaters of the upper Missouri and Yellowstone river systems by designating segments of 17 streams as part of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. Included in these designations are well-loved and iconic rivers such as the Madison, Gallatin, Upper Yellowstone and Smith.
Scott Bosse, Northern Rockies Director for American Rivers, made the following statement:
“The idea for a national system of protected rivers was born in Montana, and Senator Tester is building on that legacy with this visionary legislation. Clean, free-flowing rivers are critical to Montana’s economy and way of life, providing much of our drinking water and sustaining the state’s multi-billion dollar agriculture and outdoor recreation economies. We applaud Senator Tester for his leadership and we encourage Senator Daines and Congressman Gianforte to make this a bipartisan effort.”
Dam removal benefits river health, brook trout in White Mountain National Forest
Media Advisory: Journalists are invited to join project partners on October 28 starting at 11AM to view and discuss the completed project. A brief program will include partner remarks and site viewing. RSVP: Amy Singler, asingler@americanrivers.org.
Contact: Amy Singler, American Rivers, 617-448-3219
October 26, 2020
American Rivers and its partners have completed the removal of a dam on the South Branch Gale River in White Mountain National Forest, to restore habitat for fish and wildlife. It is one of the first dam removal projects in northern New Hampshire.
The dam, owned by Littleton Water and Light was built as part of the water supply system in the 1950s, no longer served a purpose or provided benefits. Removal eliminated a safety and maintenance burden and improves recreational fishing opportunities and access to high quality aquatic habitat.
“This was an outdated, obsolete structure, degrading our public lands and harming river health. Tearing down the dam and restoring the river revitalizes the entire ecosystem, including brook trout and other wildlife,” said Amy Singler with American Rivers.
Littleton Water and Light managed the project with American Rivers, with support from NH Department of Environmental Services, NH Fish and Game Department, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, The Nature Conservancy, and the U.S. Forest Service, and funding from the NH Charitable Foundation’s Upper Connecticut River Mitigation and Enhancement Fund and The Bingham Trust. Earlier project design phases were funded by NH Charitable Foundation’s Upper Connecticut River Mitigation and Enhancement Fund, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and The Nature Conservancy. Project engineering design by Stantec Consulting Services, Inc, and construction by C & C Bunnell Excavating LLC.
“This project is the culmination of several years of hard work by our team. Without great partners, projects like this would not be possible. This year’s drought conditions, throughout the State, highlights that we must continue to support projects like this that restore and protect our most valuable resource,” said Bill Thomas with NH Department of Environmental Services.
“We are thankful to the many partners involved in creating the largest stream connectivity for habitat on the White Mountain National Forest”, said Pemigewasset District Ranger, Brooke Brown, of the White Mountain National Forest.
“The removal of this dam reconnects important habitats for wild brook trout and other aquatic animals in the Gale River watershed,” said Dianne Timmins from NH Fish and Game Department. “We have found brook trout throughout the watershed. Reconnecting those populations is vital for genetic diversity and sustainability.”
Dam removal is increasing nationwide, as communities grapple with the environmental, economic and safety challenges of aging dams. More than 1,700 dams have been removed in the U.S. Removing a dam can restore river health and water quality, bring back fish and wildlife, eliminate public safety and flooding hazards, and create new recreation opportunities. American Rivers’ report, Rivers as Economic Engines, details the jobs and other economic and community benefits that come from dam removal and watershed restoration.
The Gale River is a tributary of the Ammonoosuc River, which flows into the Connecticut River.
About American Rivers
American Rivers believes a future of clean water and healthy rivers for everyone, everywhere is essential. Since 1973, we have protected wild rivers, restored damaged rivers and conserved clean water for people and nature. With headquarters in Washington, D.C., and 300,000 supporters, members and volunteers across the country, we are the most trusted and influential river conservation organization in the United States, delivering solutions for a better future. Because life needs rivers. www.AmericanRivers.org
Statement from American Rivers
October 9, 2020
Contact: Amy Kober, 503-708-1145
The governors of Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana today released a letter stating their intent to work together to recover Columbia-Snake river salmon. Wendy McDermott, Northwest Director for American Rivers, made the following statement:
“We appreciate the commitment of Northwest governors to recover Columbia and Snake river salmon and the communities that rely on them. There is no time to lose. Much of what we value in this region is at stake and the costs of decades of half-measures continue to mount. Salmon are facing extinction. Indigenous communities are living with a legacy of broken promises. River-dependent businesses are suffering. Communities need certainty. We need bold, urgent and moral leadership now.”
“It’s critical that this new effort deliver clear steps and a timetable for achieving healthy, harvestable salmon runs, honoring commitments to Northwest tribes, strengthening our economy, and ensuring a future of reliable, affordable clean energy. A regional solution for salmon and river-dependent communities is within our grasp, and the Governors’ announcement is an essential first step.”
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Wild and Scenic designation would forever protect America’s Most Endangered River® of 2019
September 16, 2020
Contact: David Moryc, 503-307-1137
Silver City, N.M. – The Senate Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining held a hearing today on the M.H. Dutch Salmon Greater Gila Wild and Scenic River Act(S. 3670). The legislation was introduced this summer by New Mexico Senators Tom Udall and Martin Heinrich. It would protect over 440 miles of the Gila and San Francisco Rivers and their tributaries, ensuring traditional and current use of the rivers, while protecting critical wildlife habitat and growing New Mexico’s sustainable outdoor recreation economy.
In 2019 American Rivers named the Gila America’s Most Endangered River, highlighting the threat that a water diversion posed to the river’s ecosystem and communities. The Gila and San Francisco rivers and their tributaries make up one of the largest undammed watersheds in the lower 48 states. Today, just 124.3 miles (.1 percent) of the 108,104 miles of these rivers are designated as Wild and Scenic.
“The Gila is vital to New Mexico’s heritage and its future. Protecting these outstanding rivers as Wild and Scenic would leave a lasting legacy at a time when communities need healthy, free-flowing rivers more than ever,” said Bob Irvin, President and CEO of American Rivers. “We are grateful to Senators Udall and Heinrich for their vision and leadership, and we urge the Senate to pass this important legislation.”
For nearly a decade, Indigenous people, including the Mimbres and Apache, as well as sportsmen and women, veterans, small business owners, faith and civic organizations, local municipalities and governments, landowners, ranchers, and outdoor recreation and conservation organizations have spoken up for the need to protect the Gila River. Senators Udall and Heinrich developed the legislation based on extensive local input from town halls, roundtables, and individual discussions with stakeholders from across the region.
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September 9, 2020
Contact: Amy Kober, 503-708-1145
The American Rivers Board of Directors announced today that it has retained Koya Leadership Partners to lead the search for a new President and CEO. American Rivers is the nation’s premier river conservation organization, dedicated to achieving clean water and healthy rivers for everyone, everywhere. Bob Irvin, who has served as President and CEO of American Rivers since 2011, announced in July that he will be retiring in January 2021.
Koya Leadership Partners is a national executive search firm with a demonstrated commitment to diversity and inclusion, and deep experience in the conservation and outdoor sectors.
American Rivers is the voice and guardian of the nearly three million miles of rivers across our nation. It has built a track record of success over its nearly 50-year history, standing up for clean water, thriving communities and healthy ecosystems. American Rivers partners with communities to revolutionize how urban and rural areas protect and use clean water. The organization removes dams and restores floodplains to revitalize habitat and safeguard people and property. To achieve its goals, American Rivers is motivating a new wave of river advocates to demand action for healthy rivers, from local neighborhoods to the halls of Congress.
The new President and CEO will be taking the helm of the organization at a pivotal moment, as clean water and healthy rivers flow through the intersection of public health, environmental justice and climate resilience.
This is a rare opportunity for the right individual to take a successful, respected organization to the next level and make a lasting impact on the future of river conservation. The President and CEO will have overall strategic and operational responsibility for American Rivers staff, program expansion, and mission and vision execution.
The ideal candidate will be a leader with the proven ability to drive organizational growth, build strategic partnerships, advance diversity, equity and inclusion efforts and serve as an effective conservation advocate with policy makers, community leaders and supporters.
The American Rivers Board of Directors is committed to a thorough and inclusive search, ensuring a deep and diverse pool of outstanding candidates. The search committee is engaging stakeholders including donors, non-profit partners and staff to provide input into the President and CEO role and guidance regarding potential candidates. American Rivers anticipates hiring and onboarding the new President and CEO this winter.
To recommend potential candidates, please email the Koya team at americanrivers@koyapartners.com.
About American Rivers
American Rivers believes a future of clean water and healthy rivers for everyone, everywhere is essential. Since 1973, we have protected wild rivers, restored damaged rivers and conserved clean water for people and nature. With headquarters in Washington, D.C., and 300,000 supporters, members and volunteers across the country, we are the most trusted and influential river conservation organization in the United States, delivering solutions for a better future. Because life needs rivers. www.AmericanRivers.org