Chehalis River Council417 N. Pearl Street, Centralia, WA 98531 (360) 807-0764
“…to promote the conservation and restoration of the greater Chehalis River Basin resources…”
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Q. What is the Chehalis River Council?
A. We are a local grassroots environmental group. “Local” means members are mostly from within the Chehalis River watershed. “Grassroots” means we are not a branch of any national or regional environmental organization. We are also not a branch of government. “Environmental” means we are dedicated to conserving our natural environment, with special emphasis on our water resources.
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Trustees Rob Schanz, Pete Holm, Janet Strong, Merrily Knutsen (Emeritus), Karen Knutsen |
Board of Trustees Rob Schanz, Chehalis, Chairman Janet Strong, McCleary, Vice Chairman Margaret Rader, Rochester,
Secretary Karen Knutsen, Onalaska, Treasurer Pete Holm, Rochester
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Q. Who are we?
A. Our members come from all over the Chehalis watershed, from the headwaters in the Willapa Hills above Pe Ell, from the upper and lower reaches of the Neuwaukum and Skookumchuck rivers, from the Black River basin and from where the waters run down from the Olympic mountains and all along the Chehalis River to the mouth at Grays Harbor. We are citizens who recognize that we all depend on clean water, and that includes business, agriculture, fisheries, recreation, wildlife, and human life. We recognize that there are significant problems with our water resources, and this is bad news for all of us, not just salmon. The good news is that we can make a difference if we work together.
Q. What do we do?
A. We have an office and natural resources library in Centralia, staffed by volunteers. Our professional quality water monitoring program is described here. We publish a bi-monthly newsletter, Drops of Water. We sponsor canoe floats, seminars and special events.
Q. How did we get started?
A. Back in 1992, volunteers and local Conservation Districts worked hard to identify water quality issues facing the Chehalis Basin. The result was The Chehalis River Basin Action Plan. This plan is still used today as a reference, but no funds were allocated by the Legislature to implement the recommendations. So in 1994 the volunteers formed a nonprofit corporation, the Chehalis River Council, to work to implement the goals and actions identified in the Plan. This is still our commitment today.
Q. Do we ever take a stand on issues?
A. We stress education but we also are advocates when someone needs to speak out on issues that affect water resources. We comment on proposed actions by government agencies and work with other organizations to protect natural resources in the Basin.
Q. So, if I got involved, what could I do?
A. There’s always a need for volunteers. You could learn water quality monitoring, develop public education materials, research issues, organize the library, answer phones and inquiries in the office. You could help clean up a river access site or start a new access site project. In the past, volunteers have designed their own projects. We are all volunteers here! Our membership application is here.
Q. Are contributions tax-deductible?
A. The CRC is a 501c3 nonprofit corporation, and contributions are tax-deductible to the extent provided by law. If you are a State employee, you can donate with payroll deduction through the State of Washington Combined Fund Drive. Our Charity Code number is 314954.
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