American Rivers launches The Anglers Fund, to connect anglers with river conservation

A new initiative launched by American Rivers, the nation’s leading river conservation organization, is engaging anglers across the country in the effort to protect and restore rivers.

Healthy rivers and clean water are essential to healthy fish and good fishing. The Anglers Fund supports American Rivers’ work to improve river health and fishing by removing obsolete dams, improving operations of existing dams, and safeguarding rivers with Wild and Scenic designations. Members of The Anglers Fund contribute $1000 or more annually.

“Anglers have a unique and powerful connection to rivers. Whether casting to steelhead in the Pacific Northwest, cutthroat trout in the Rockies, Atlantic salmon in Maine, stripers in the Chesapeake Bay, or smallmouth bass in the Southeast, the beauty and magic of each fishing experience begins with healthy rivers,” said Bob Irvin, president of American Rivers.

Recent successes for river and fish conservation spearheaded by American Rivers include the removal of dams on Washington’s Elwha and White Salmon rivers, Maine’s Penobscot River, and Maryland’s Patapsco River, along with Wild and Scenic designations for 400 miles of the Snake River and its tributaries surrounding Jackson, Wyoming.  Additional successes have come in the form of hundreds of dams removed in the Northeast, hundreds of miles of improved fish habitat from reformed dam operations in the Southeast, and over 100 miles of habitat restored for steelhead and salmon in California.

Anglers Fund members receive a variety of benefits including exclusive opportunities to join American Rivers conservation experts on special fishing excursions, as well as briefings on fisheries conservation work.
Donations can be made by phone, using a major credit card (call American Rivers at 877-347-7550); by mail (send contribution to: American Rivers Anglers Fund, 1101 14th Street NW, Suite 1400, Washington DC, 20005); or securely online at www.AmericanRivers.org/AnglersFund.

American Rivers is the leading organization working to protect and restore the nation’s rivers and streams. Rivers connect us to each other, nature, and future generations. Since 1973, American Rivers has fought to preserve these connections, helping protect and restore more than 150,000 miles of rivers through advocacy efforts, on-the-ground projects, and the annual release of America’s Most Endangered Rivers®.

Headquartered in Washington, DC, American Rivers has offices across the country and more than 100,000 supporters, members, and volunteers nationwide. Visit www.americanrivers.org, www.facebook.com/americanrivers and www.twitter.com/americanrivers.