Oregon Nonprofit Recognized for Gulf Coast Recovery Efforts

(Portland, Ore.) River Network, one of the nation’s leading conservation organizations, was the only Oregon nonprofit featured in the recent New York Times annual Giving Section.

Under the headline “Meeting People's Specific Needs", one of River Network’s efforts to assist communities along the Gulf Coast was highlighted: “Gulf Coast Watershed Recovery Fund: The fund will make grants to groups that need to replace office space, and to support longer-term objectives, like monitoring water quality and advocating for a wetlands restoration effort to help safeguard against future hurricane destruction.” (New York Times, Section E, page 24)

Currently, River Network is coordinating the efforts of many organizations to assess the condition and needs of hundreds of regional, state and local grassroots groups in the Gulf Coast region. When this initial phase is complete at the end of November, River Network will begin making grants and providing targeted assistance, focusing the use of the Gulf Coast Watershed Recovery Fund on helping the conservation community regroup and rebuild in the months ahead.

“The post-hurricane needs of the region's community-based conservation groups vary widely,” said Don Elder, President of River Network. “We are helping these groups get back on their feet by assessing their needs, providing direct assistance and investing in their recovery. The Gulf Coast Watershed Recovery Fund will help the region’s conservation leaders address the myriad immediate water-related post-hurricane issues and chart a better course for watershed management in the region for the future. It will secure enormous benefits for water, people and wildlife for generations to come.”

Founded in 1988, River Network has become a national leader in the river and watershed conservation movement. By providing resources and expertise in organizational development, capacity and coalition building, water policy, watershed restoration and protection activities, and science-based river monitoring, River Network complements, enhances, magnifies, and helps coordinate the work of many others who work at the local, state and regional levels for clean and healthy waters. To learn more about River Network, or to make a donation to its national work, visit www.rivernetwork.org.