Columbia Riverkeeper

“Before the 990 is submitted the financial staff reviews the draft 990 and then provides a finalized draft to the entire board, confirming that the 990 has been carefully reviewed and found to be complete and accurate.”

“The conflict of interest policy is provided to board members and reviewed annually. Columbia riverkeeper also maintains a board committee to ensure compliance with policies.”

“The board of directors determines the compensation of the executive director through the annual budgeting process after reviewing compensation of executive directors in similar fields.”

“Financial statements and governing documents can be viewed at the office of columbia riverkeeper, mailed or emailed.”

“Other program services 4: cleaning up hanfordthe columbia river runs along the hanford nuclear site, home to some of the most dangerous pollution on earth. A legacy of world war ii and the cold war, the federal government selected hanford as a top-secret site for the manhattan project, which called for enriching plutonium for nuclear weapons. The 586-square-mile hanford site rests on the ceded lands of multiple tribal nations. In 2022, riverkeeper worked in solidarity with the tribes and indigenous people who are leading the effort to hold the u.s. Government accountable for cleanup.radioactive and toxic pollution from hanford threatens peoples health, salmon, and water quality. Contamination from hanford still reaches the columbia river. Without effective cleanup, more pollution threatens to escape into the environment in the coming decades.in 2022, riverkeeper used public pressure, grassroots organizing, and technical assessment of cleanup plans to advocate for thorough, timely cleanup. For example, over 1,000 riverkeeper members and supporters advocated for improvements to the u.s. Dept. Of energys proposed hanford cleanup plans. Riverkeeper also opposed the governments plans to re-label high-level nuclear waste as low-level in order to leave it in place, instead of more protective cleanup. Riverkeeper expanded our outreach by implementing strategies aimed at increasing accessibility to participate in hanford advocacy. This includes waters walk through water, a bilingual (spanish/english) and interactive story map, which breaks down some of the most dangerous pollutants and cleanup areas at hanford, bringing the cleanup to life through vivid art and storytelling. We also partnered with the yakama nation to push for better and faster cleanup of nuclear waste. This included the second hanford journey, an event co-hosted by riverkeeper and the tribe. Nearly 200 people gathered along the columbia river, upstream from hanford, to celebrate resiliency, hope, and action for a thorough cleanup. The event spurred much-needed media coverage of the people and places impacted by federal government decisionsand how to get involved. Other program services 5: engaging communitiesthe pandemic disconnected people from their communities, and in some cases the columbia. Across all of our program areas, riverkeeper engages communities. Through the engaging communities program, we aim to connect people to the river and celebrate the diverse, vibrant cultures within river communities. This includes monitoring the river to give people the confidence to swim when and where it is safe. The reality: government agencies dont routinely monitor water quality in the columbialet alone make data easily accessible to people in multiple languages. With access to water quality data and culturally-informed messaging, people can make choices to use the riverand get inspired to fight for clean water. The engaging communities program also uses in-person and online education and a radio show to connect with the diverse communities who call the columbia home.in 2022, riverkeeper continued to expand our outreach and engagement efforts to latina/o/x communities, with a focus on relationship-building in the columbia river gorge. This includes doing culturally specific outreach and engagement, producing bilingual radio shows and podcasts, called conoce tu columbia (know your columbia), on environmental and social justice issues, and providing additional materials in spanish. Riverkeepers popular water-quality monitoring program grew in popularity and reach in 2022. We monitored 20 columbia river and tributary beaches and shared information on swim guide in multiple languages. We also launched a harmful algal blooms (habs) visual monitoring project to address an emerging pollution issue on the columbia and its tributaries. Riverkeeper also developed educational materials and webpages and social media materials alerting people to the risks of harmful algal blooms and ed”