Mission: The Hydropower Reform Coalition protects, enhances, and restores America’s rivers, watersheds, and communities affected by hydropower operations.
Values: We believe that…
- Rivers should have water: We work to protect and restore rivers to ensure self-sustaining populations of native species by restoring the components of a functioning ecosystem, including water quality, natural flows, and aquatic and riparian habitat.
- Rivers are a public good: We work to ensure that rivers across the United States are managed in the public interest, and to maintain public access for the responsible, sustainable enjoyment of these public resources. We hope to improve people’s relationships with rivers, inclusive of the wide range of ways people interact with their waterways.
- Science is necessary: Successful river management depends on sound science to help identify the necessary components of a healthy ecosystem and specific restoration actions to protect and restore ecological integrity. Relicensing and hydropower policy should achieve environmental benefits in a cost-effective manner.
- We are stronger together: Our Coalition works with people across the diverse constituency of river advocates, including resource agencies, tribes, licensees, and rural communities. We recognize the cultural significance of rivers to indigenous traditions and the sovereignty of tribes; we endeavor to support our tribal partners in their goals related to natural resource management and hydropower. Environmental justice is at the core of our values, and we seek, through our work, to represent the interests of affected communities.
CHRC Values
https://www.hydroreform.org/chrc/about/core-values
Protect and restore rivers
Restore self-sustaining populations of native species by restoring the functioning components of the ecosystem, including water quality, and natural flow regimes and aquatic and riparian habitat. It is also important to maintain public access for the responsible, sustainable enjoyment of these public resources.
Manage natural resources in accord with sound science
Sound science helps identify the necessary components of a healthy ecosystem and specific restoration actions to protect and restore ecological integrity. Relicensing and other hydropower policy processes should achieve environmental benefits in a cost-effective manner.
Build partnerships and alliances
Strive for consensus amongst the diverse constituency of river advocates, and work with resource agencies, licensees, and others.
Manage natural resources in the public interest
California’s rivers belong to its people and should be managed to provide benefits to anglers, boaters, hikers, and others.
HRC Values from May 2019 meeting
- Water in our rivers
- Powerful coalition
- Diversity builds power
- Open public access
- Use of public land (rivers)
- Improving people’s relationships with rivers
- Restoring river function for those impacted by hydropower
- Building a broader constituency for rivers
- Being engaged in and physically present for the work needed on the ground and other hydro arenas
- Recognizing cultural and tribal significance
