Past Wild and Scenic Rivers Hill Week Successes

Wild and Scenic Rivers Hill Week has been hosted by the Wild and Scenic Rivers Coalition since 2020.

Rivers Hill Week 2024

Facts at a Glance

  • Location: In-person & virtual
  • Attendees: 40 (in-person), 139 (digital)
    • 9 constituents accompanied 3 campaigns and included Tribal Nations, local government leaders, business owners, and outfitters and guides
  • Campaigns: 17 campaigns in 11 states
  • Bills in Congress: 12 (summary sheet)

Actionable Outcomes

  • 7 learning sessions over 3 days
    • Aligning River Protection Efforts to Benefit BIPOC
      • Session 1: River Protection Report Card
        • How well and where is the river conservation movement protecting rivers? Where do the gaps in protection exist? What does this tell us about future river protection? With David Moryc, American Rivers and Julian Olden, Conservation Science Partners
      • Session 2 RECORDING
        • Rivers of Opportunity
          • Where are the gaps in river protection efforts proximate to historically disadvantaged communities? How can understanding the nexus of river values and social vulnerability inform current and future river protection work? With Janae Davis and Shanyn Viars, American Rivers
        • Fishing for Food (starts at 46 minutes)
          • What does recent research tell us about people and communities who fish for food in rivers? How can we better understand, recognize, and protect subsistence fishing as a river value? With Caitlin Brogan, Northern Arizona University

      Heightening our DC Hill Week Impacts

      Emerging Topics in River Protection

      • Session 1: Lightning Talks: Threats to River Protection from Climate and Social Changes
        • Reservoir expansion with Ron Stork, Friends of the River
        • Administrative protection releases through suitability with Nic Nelson, Idaho Rivers United, and Kevin Colburn, American Whitewater (starts at 35 minutes)
        • Effects of Sackett with Jon Devine, Clean Water For All Coalition (starts at 1:14 minutes)
      • Session 2: Wildfire and Rivers
        • What pre- and post-fire challenges are river advocates facing? What strategies and positions are informing the evolving dialog around wildfire in river corridors? What can we learn from case studies in fire-prone landscapes? 
          • Scott Harding, American Whitewater
          • Grant Werschkull, Smith River Alliance (starts at 33 minutes)
          • Will Harling, Director of the Mid Klamath Watershed Council and Co-Lead for the Western Klamath Restoration Partnership (starts at 48 minutes)
          • Toz Soto, Fisheries Program Manager for the Karuk Tribe (starts at 1:15 minutes)
  • 90 Congressional office meetings in 21 states; 4 House and Senate natural resources majority/minority staffs
  • Discussions and meetings with agency leaderships:
    • 11 agency meetings (BLM, FS, USDA, NPS, EPA, NPF)
    • 5 meetings with Director or Deputy Director level attendance
    • 5 meetings involve employees from different directorates/agency program areas
    • Topics discussed
      • EPA – handbook ONRW language and ONRW consistency across states
      • USDA – river/watershed rule
      • FS – river/watershed rule, WSR eligibility/suitability, handbook revision
      • BLM – CRMP progress
      • NPS – NRI update, enlarging the PWSR system, PWSR agreement issues
      • NPF – river funding opportunities

Rivers Hill Week 2023

Facts at a Glance

  • Location: In-person & virtual
  • Attendees: 40 (in-person), 150 (digital)
    • 9 constituents accompanied 3 campaigns and included Tribal Nations, landowners, and business owners
  • Campaigns: 17 campaigns in 11 states
  • Bills in Congress: 12 (summary sheet)

Actionable Outcomes

  • 5 learning sessions over 3 days averaging 45 people/session:
    • Creative Funding Strategies for Wild and Scenic River Projects
      • Funds
      • Foundations
    • Lessons Toward a National ONRW Strategy
    • The Nexus of Land Back & Wild and Scenic Rivers (KASL case study)
    • Trends in Congress
  • 80 Congressional office meetings in 18 states; House and Senate natural resources committee meetings
  • Discussions and meetings with agency leaderships:
    • 7 agency meetings (BLM, FS, USDA, NPS, EPA, OMB)
    • 2 meetings with Director level attendance
    • 3 meetings with Deputy Director level attendance
    • 3 meetings involve employees from different directorates/agency program areas
    • Topics discussed
      • EPA – handbook ONRW language
      • USDA – eligibility/suitability, FS testimony
      • FS – relationship building, FS testimony, funding, Indigenous co-stewardship
      • BLM – relationship building, Indigenous co-stewardship
      • NPS – funding/capacity for a growing PWSR system, NRI management
      • OMB – additions to budget narratives, funding transparency

Rivers Hill Week 2022

Facts at a Glance

  • Location: Virtual
  • Attendees: 133
  • Organizations represented: 44
  • Campaigns: 15 in 9 states
  • Bills in Congress: 12 (summary sheet)

Actionable Outcomes

  • 6 learning sessions over 3 days averaging 45 people/session:
    • Indigenous Nations and River Protection (opened by Senator Wyden)
    • State of Congress and Environmental Legislation and Appropriations Prospects and Strategies
    • River Protection Campaign Roundup
    • Elevating Our Collective River Goals: Messaging for Success During and After Your Congressional Meetings
    • Wild and Scenic Rivers Protection in the Context of the Clean Water Act 50th
    • Interagency River Stewardship Next Steps
  • One special Conversations with Congressional Champions session featuring remarks from Senator Merkley, Senator Heinrich and Representative Kilmer
  • 46 Congressional office meeting requests in 16 states resulting in 37 meeting in 12 states; House Natural Resources Committee staff meeting
  • Discussions and meetings with agency leaderships on:
    • Climate
    • DEI
    • Partnerships
    • Staffing/training
    • Inventories in river management plans
    • Wildfire in river corridors
    • Fish barrier dams
  • Join requests from five new organizations directly related to Rivers Hill Week outreach and interest in membership from another 15 organizations

Rivers Hill Week 2021

Facts at a Glance

  • Location: Virtual
  • Attendees: 89
  • Organizations represented: 30
  • Campaigns represented: 11

Actionable Outcomes

  • 6 learning sessions averaging 45 people/session:
    • The Nexus of River Conservation and Energy
    • Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Wild and Scenic River Protection
    • State of Congress and Environmental Legislation Prospects
    • River Protection Campaign Roundup
    • Opportunities for River Protection through Clean Water Policy and Effective Advocacy Strategies for Using the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act for Protecting and Improving Water Quality
    • Ways to Better Engage in Appropriations
  • 25 meetings with individual congressional offices, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and House Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands, House Natural Resources Committee continue to further campaigns in Washington, Oregon, California, Montana, New Mexico, North Carolina/Tennessee, Maine, Florida and Alabama.
  • Discussions and meetings with agency leaderships to further requests for:
    • Inclusion of rivers in 30×30 through adoption of climate ORVs
    • Better budget transparency
    • Consistency in eligibility inventories
    • Consistency in national river data management
    • Actions to mitigate increasing river recreation impacts
  • Increased engagement between Coalition members who attended Wild and Scenic Rivers Hill Week continues to forge a productive professional network of river protection advocates.

Rivers Hill Week 2020

Facts at a Glance

  • Location: Washington D.C.
  • Attendees: 32
  • Organizations represented: 18
  • Campaigns represented: 12