AW VOLUNTEER OF THE MONTH PRESENTED BY KOKATAT: Priscilla Macy

American Whitewater is proud to recognize Priscilla Macy of Salem, OR as our December Volunteer of the Month. Priscilla is an avid boater and has paddled across the northwest, country, and world. She's helped AW on an array of projects in her home region and has increasingly become involved in the policy side of our work, pushing for Wild and Scenic designations and other river protections, along with more state level boater friendly laws. Last month we celebrated the passage and signing of a bill that greatly improves access for Oregon river runners, which Priscilla played a vital role in. HB 2835 requires any future waterway access closure on state lands to undergo a public process. This allows the opportunity for waterway users, organizations and communities to provide input on proposed actions. The bill was promoted by recreational advocates like AW and Oregon Outdoors and is the first proactive waterway access bill in recent history to have made it through the Oregon Legislature. But it was the relentless effort from Prisiclla, navigating a delicate political climate and finding a collaborative pathway forward that really made this new law a reality. Prisiclla held countless meetings with a wide array of stakeholder groups including state agencies, private landowners, local governments and parks districts to bring forward a bill that worked for everyone. 

"We are enthusiastic to continue advocating and attesting that Oregon's rivers provide a high quality of life for its citizens as well as serve a vital part of the state's tourism industry" says Macy. It's core to American Whitewater's mission to ensure the public safe access to rivers and we're proud to announce the passage of HB 2835, a new law ensuring the public's ability to enjoy the rivers of Oregon! Excellent work Priscilla! As Volunteer of the Month, Kokatat will be hooking Priscilla up with some world class gear, and we hope you'll extend her a hearty thank you when you see her on the river.