President’s Update Fall 2025
Collaboration, Community, and Conservation
As summer transitions to fall, I want to thank each of you for your continued commitment to protecting and restoring the Umpqua. Our work remains strong because of the relationships we build within our community, across organizations, and through the dedication of our members. Doing good work takes a lot of effort, and we rely on the strength of our partners to make it possible.
This year, Umpqua Watersheds has strengthened partnerships with groups that share our vision for a resilient and sustainable future. Together with Umpqua Valley Audubon, Douglas County G lobal Warming Coalition, UNLSH, SURCP, Thrive Umpqua, the BIPOC Community, Rainbow Collective, Experience Roseburg, Umpqua Oak Partnership, the Native Plant Society, Oregon State University, Friends of Mildred Kanipe Park, Yew Creek Land Alliance, and the Cow Creek Band of the Umpqua Indians—as well as many others—we are amplifying efforts to protect wildlife habitat, address the climate crisis, promote healthy living, and expand opportunities for civic engagement. These collaborations remind us that conservation is not the work of one group alone but a collective responsibility.
This year also brought encouraging examples of progress through collaboration. In coordination with SURCP, we supported the reclassification of the beaver from a nuisance predator to a recognized ally in watershed health. With Experience Roseburg, we co-hosted a very successful River Appreciation Day, drawing community members together in celebration of the Umpqua’s natural beauty and the work required to sustain it.
On the policy front, we continue to monitor federal proposals that impact our forests and watersheds, engaging with local land managers and decision-makers, submitting comments, and raising awareness when decisions threaten mature forests, wildlife habitats, and clean water. We are not doing this alone; our sister organizations have stood shoulder to shoulder with us, supporting and guiding efforts to resist damaging policy changes. Our voice, combined with yours, carries weight in these critical conversations, and we still need you to step up and sound off.
KQUA has expanded programming and community outreach, providing a platform for local voices and environmental education. Our education programs are preparing for the fall season, giving young people hands-on experiences in nature and instilling a sense of stewardship that will carry forward.
Looking ahead, we are preparing for the 14th Umpqua Brew Fest (September 20th from noon to 7 pm) and other fall gatherings that sustain both our mission and our community spirit. I encourage you to join us, volunteer, and invite friends to connect with this work.
Thank you for standing with Umpqua Watersheds. Together, with our partners and members, we are making a difference. We may be small, but we are mighty.
