Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Remembering a friend and river hero

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By ANDY MUNTER

When Ketchum resident Doug Christensen died Jan. 25 at age 87, Idaho's rivers and salmon lost one of their most ardent and influential advocates—as did conservationists throughout the Pacific Northwest.

When Doug and his wife, Ann, bought the Circle A Ranch just west of Stanley back in 1978, they could look out their windows and see chinook salmon spawning in the nearby creeks. But as the story goes, they were also horrified by what they saw on moving day—salmon stranded in the irrigation ditches near their home. Acting with characteristic decisiveness, Ann grabbed the empty moving boxes, and called to her two young daughters to help carry the fish back to Valley Creek, conducting a rescue operation.

That story helps to illustrate Doug and Ann's deep connection with the Sawtooth Valley, their passion for wild places and wild creatures, including Idaho's wild salmon and steelhead. Those connections grew stronger with each passing year since 1987, when they became full-time Idaho residents.

Both Doug and Ann—individually—deserve recognition from river lovers everywhere, conservation groups and the people of the Wood River Valley. As a couple, they inspired and taught dozens of river advocates, helped jumpstart and fund critical river conservation campaigns, and nurtured many other Wood River Valley-area philanthropists to support the cause of river conservation and effect broader social change.

But more important than the financial support for a host of organizations—Idaho Rivers United, the Save Our Wild Salmon Coalition, the Greater Yellowstone Coalition and the Idaho Conservation League—the Christensens have been roll-up-the-shirtsleeves, down-in-the-dirt, well-informed and tireless environmental activists.

They were at the table when Idaho Rivers United was formed—seeing and promoting the need for a statewide river conservation group, and reminding its founders that the work of a new group was needed to serve the interests of all people who respect the importance of rivers—not just those who like to kayak them.

Doug was a member of IRU's first board of directors, served on the boards of the Idaho Conservation League and Sawtooth Society, and co-founded Blaine County Citizens for Smart Growth.

Both Doug and Ann have testified at hearings, wrote letters to the editor and traveled to Washington, D.C., and Portland, Ore., to lobby on behalf of salmon and steelhead recovery in Idaho. They hosted fundraisers and informational meetings.

They have pushed politicians, fellow activists and other donors to support the cause of salmon recovery, river restoration and protecting clean, free-flowing rivers. They hosted former Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt at their home in August 2003, when Babbitt espoused the virtues of lower Snake River dam removal.

They worked to educate their community—setting up booths at a local grocery store with information, petitions and posters. In 1999, they worked with Dr. Steve Pauley—a former IRU board member and fellow Ketchum resident—to help develop and see through to publication a powerful New York Times advertising campaign that helped IRU bring national attention to the plight of Idaho's endangered salmon and steelhead runs.

Doug and Ann have made a real difference for Idaho's rivers. They have inspired many river advocates and helped shape the future of local and statewide conservation.

They encouraged supporters of IRU's work to remain candid about what wasn't getting done. Doug was never afraid to say, "Hey gang, get back on track!"

The Wood River Valley, Idaho's conservation community and, in particular, Idaho's wild rivers and salmon lost a friend and champion last week.

Andy Munter is on the board of directors of Idaho Rivers United and is owner of Backwoods Mountain Sports in Ketchum.

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