About Us
- Elk River in SW Oregon, photo courtesy of Tim Palmer
Born from a commitment to protect Oregon's free-flowing rivers, the Oregon Rivers Council was founded as a statewide non-profit organization in 1987 with a volunteer staff.
By 1993, we had become the Pacific Rivers Council (PRC), reflecting our expanded sphere of influence in aquatic conservation. Today, more than twenty years after its inception, PRC is one of the most influential river conservation groups in the country. Our mission is to protect and restore rivers, their watersheds, and native aquatic species. We do this for the benefits that healthy watersheds provide to present and future generations – and for the intrinsic virtues of rivers themselves. We have expanded the geographic scope of our work to include Oregon, Washington, Northern California, Montana and Idaho.
PRC now employs seven professionals and numerous contractors with technical expertise in a variety of fields. Our 14-member Board of Directors comprises leading scientists, economists, and business, government and policy specialists. With a budget of approximately $550,000 and offices in Oregon and Montana, PRC has received national acclaim for its innovative river protection and restoration approaches.
The integrity of aquatic systems depends on the ecological health of the entire landscape and, in turn, healthy aquatic systems benefit the basins they drain. This relationship between land management activities and watershed health underlies all of PRC's work. Our projects are based on the recovery strategy of protect the best, restore the rest, as the first step towards natural resource management based on conservation biology. PRC promotes the protection of the best remaining aquatic habitat, or refuges, to provide anchors for restoration of more degraded systems.
Advocating a whole watershed approach to land management, PRC fills a unique niche in the conservation community. Our collaboration with scientific and academic communities is bridging the gap between aquatic science and environmental policy. By convening scientific panels and sponsoring research to address crucial aquatic conservation issues, we have established a respected reputation as a credible, effective advocate for the protection and restoration of aquatic resources throughout the nation.
In 2007, Pacific Rivers Council turned 20 years old! To mark this momentous occasion, we compiled a list of our successes since 1987, including everything from passing the Omnibus Wild and Scenic designation for 40 rivers in Oregon, to creating a Salmon Safe certification for agricultural products. Read more about our successes during the first 20 years here.
Read more about our priorities.
Access our newsletters and annual reports.
Access our press room, which includes press releases, press contacts, and news clips.
