During the past three decades, Western Rivers Conservancy has conserved hundreds of river miles and tens of thousands of acres of land along high quality streams across the West. While our list of accomplishments grew, our board of directors resolved to be accountable for the long term health of the lands we have acquired, even after we have turned these lands over to public or non-profit agencies for permanent management. As we monitor past accomplishments, we ensure the continual improvement of our organizational mission. We owe this to the individuals, foundations, organizations, and agencies who have contributed their resources to our projects and count on us to protect the land. We owe it even more to the natural communities that need these river sanctuaries for survival.
With this in mind, Western Rivers Conservancy designed a stewardship program to periodically survey and assess our past land acquisitions to see if protection is still solid and whether the goals of the original project have been met. These evaluations also tell us whether additional land acquisition is needed to make a refuge or sanctuary more meaningful or successful.
Through our stewardship program we carefully assess our past acquisitions by researching the background of each project, conducting field inspections, interviewing current land managers and other people with an interest in the property. Each assessment is then catalogued as part of the historical record of our organization.
We believe our stewardship program is essential to the long term success of our organization and ensures that Western Rivers Conservancy continues to create enduring river sanctuaries for fish, wildlife, and people.
