How we began
Two whitewater rafting guides — Bob Doppelt and Rick George — had witnessed the destruction of Oregon’s rivers first-hand, and started Pacific Rivers (then Oregon Rivers Council) in 1987.
Pacific Rivers went on to:
- Help pass the largest Wild and Scenic Rivers legislation in the lower 48 states.
- Became the first to advocate for protecting salmon throughout their range, not just in isolated locations.
- Among the first to realize how much rivers are harmed by roads.
Pacific Rivers has led the way in:
- Protecting rivers, clean water, and fish in the landmark Northwest Forest Plan.
- Launching one of the world’s longest-running stream monitoring programs.
- Revealing the economic benefits of watershed protection.
Salmon Safe
We are also proud to have launched the nation’s first freshwater-related eco-label, Salmon Safe, and to have been among the first to see that private forest practices such as clearcutting and aerial spraying of herbicides is polluting drinking water and killing rivers and streams.
