By Brett VandenHeuvel, Executive Director
A VISION
Riverkeeper's long-term vision is a Columbia River that supports vibrant river communities; strong salmon runs; and clean, cold, plentiful water. Here's what that means to me over the next 25 years.
- I want a river where poor people don't ingest the brunt of the toxic pollution. A river where people can eat fish caught in North Portland, Longview, or Richland without increasing their cancer risk.
- I want oil, coal, and gas corporate executives to never again mutter the name Columbia River after their stunning and systematic defeats in the 2010s. Getting "Columbia'd" will become the boardroom euphemism for underestimating a region's passion to protect what it loves.
- I want the list of 187 contaminated sites on the Columbia reduced to 0.
- I want my kids to enjoy teaching their kids how to catch Columbia River salmon and climb on Mt Hood's glaciers. Neither is certain.
- I want the Pacific Northwest to lead by example, with an innovative economy based on clean water, renewable energy, and healthy communities.
- I want salmon to return to their ancestral spawning grounds throughout the basin. This includes fish passage at Grand Coulee dam to access thousands of miles of habitat. And removing the lower Snake River dams. In my lifetime.
- I want ongoing Hanford cleanup in 25 years. That may sound odd, but it's better than the very real possibility that the Department of Energy declares it clean and walks away.
At the risk of sounding like a 1960s pop song, I want snow in the mountains, fish in the streams, bees in the flowers, and pears on the trees. I want a climate that supports the simple things we love.
A PROMISE
The hardest part of my job is prioritizing. Where can Riverkeeper have the greatest impact? We do not dabble: when we take on a project, we fully commit to achieve our goals. Riverkeeper has doubled our size over the last five years. How do we grow stronger? Here is my promise. Riverkeeper will continue to:
- Be aggressive. We will maintain the urgency that this work deserves.
- Take a stand. Fight for what is right, not what is popular or what is easy.
- Be thankful. We are blessed to work with our members and amazing river communities to protect the Columbia.
- Fight complacency. Sure, we could sit in the office and have conference calls with other environmental groups. But we win on the streets, at kitchen tables, grange halls, and courtrooms.
- Acknowledge mistakes. If we take enough risks, we will fail sometimes. Own it. Learn and grow.
- Work together. We can't do this alone. Our greatest success stems from partnerships—community groups, labor, tribes, farmers, big green, and health care providers—who have common goals of clean water.
Why I love this job.
I use my background in community outreach, science, and law to protect clean water. Before Riverkeeper, I worked in outdoor education across Oregon and Washington. I researched climate change in Antarctica and started a law practice, where Riverkeeper became a favorite client. As Executive Director, I spend my days analyzing the problems and seeking solutions.
Thank you for standing up for clean water. Your care for the Columbia can make this vision a reality.
