At the May meeting of the CRC Board, Mr. Rob Schanz was appointed as a new member of the Board of Trustees.
Mr. Schanz, and his family are residents of the Rainbow Falls area. He graduated from the University of Virginia and the University of Washington, with a BA in Environmental Science and an MS in Civil Engineering. Mr. Schanz has worked as a consulting hydrologist and environmental activist for nearly 15 years, focusing in the last decade on projects related to river and wetland restoration. Since moving to Lewis County he has been actively involved with the Chehalis River Council and other groups in Volunteer Monitoring, environmental education, and Growth Management issues.
Westport resident and treasurer Brady Engvall stated that: "Rob adds to the board the technical skills, experience and eagerness that every conservation group seeks!"
Grant Awarded:
One of the many services provided by the CRC is the monthly newsletter Drops of Water. This newsletter reaches 45,000 readers in the watershed every month and has been supported by numerous organizations. Mr. David Kenney, Western Planning and Operations Forester, for the Hancock Timber Resources Group, told the board that the CRC has selected as a recipient of a corporate grant for Drops of Water.
According to Chehalis resident and CRC fund raiser Dave Spogen, "this is a very significant breakthrough for the CRC and we appreciate the confidence that Hancock Timber has in this organization and our Drops of Water".
The CRC also learned that the Washington State Employee Combined Fund Drive has recognized the CRC as an organization eligible to participate in the annual Combined Fund Drive. According to Onalaska resident and Vice Chairman Merrily Knutsen "this provides a state employees yet another choice in the way in which their charitable contributions are spent".
The Chehalis River Council (CRC) was formed in 1994 to lead the implementation of the Chehalis River Basin Action Plan (CRBAP). The CRBAP is the 1992 document produced by the volunteers in the basin who worked with local Conservation Districts to identify the water quality issues facing the 3 county, 2,600 square mile Chehalis river system. When state and federal implementation funding was not available, the CRC volunteers wrote grants, won competitive funding, formed a nonprofit corporation in 1994, and began implementation.
The CRC is a nonprofit corporation. The Internal Revenue Service has ruled that the CRC is a 501C3 organization. The Board of Trustees represents a broad membership. The CRC sponsors local educational seminars for basin residents, and is working to initiate and coordinate implementation of the CRBAP. Membership is open to all. Some of the services available to residents include a local meeting facility, access to a water quality library, access to a computer system to assist residents in water quality related work, and a small volunteer staff to provide guidance, advice and help, when possible.
The CRC conducts public seminars, created and printed a Chehalis Basin map; has published guides on tree planting as well as water quality monitoring; publishes "Drops of Water" with a circulation of 45,000 and maintains a site on the internet.
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