Restoring community streams in Rainier, Oregon
About Friends of Fox Creek
The mission of Friends of Fox Creek is to restore and enhance Fox Creek and Nice Creek in Rainier, Oregon, for the benefit of education, recreation, heritage appreciation, wildlife habitat and flood protection.
In 1991, several volunteers who had been removing trash from Fox Creek formed a community action group called Friends of Fox Creek. Members have included property owners, parents and teachers of Rainier students, and representatives from local, state and federal agencies.
FFC has been working to restore Fox Creek and Nice Creek to a healthy condition, and, ultimately, to create greenways along the streams for recreation and education.
Contact
Friends of Fox CreekPO Box 1630Rainier, OR 97048info@friendsoffoxcreek.org
Board of Directors
President: Chris ByrdVice President: Chip BublSecretary: Sally BledsoeTreasurer: Ian BledsoeDarrel WhippleBob BurnhamNick Byrd
Friends of Fox Creek Progress
-Removed 300 feet of culvert (pipe) at the old elementary school site
-Removed 550 feet of culvert in the city park
-Conducted salmon spawning surveys on Fox Creek since 1994
-Built and maintained a nature trail behind the school site
-Prepared and taught watershed lessons to elementary and high school students for a number of years
-Modified the culvert grate at C Street to enable passage by Coho and Steelhead
Our long-range goal is to daylight the remaining buried sections of both creeks, which requires removing the culverts that run under the city to the Columbia River. By restoring the streams to a more natural state, we can help prevent flooding in the city, improve habitat for migrating salmon, and create an inviting natural area for everyone to enjoy.
FFC is a non-profit organization. We rely on donations and grants to help fund our restoration work. root wads at strategic locations in Fox Creek, to create pools for fish habitat and moderate the energy of the stream during high water.
Membership
Membership is open to anyone for a $15 annual fee. Friends of Fox Creek has federal tax-exempt status, so membership fees and donations are tax-deductible.
Monthly meetings
Meetings are usually held the second Wednesday of the month at 7:00 p.m. on Zoom or at a restaurant in Rainier.
Awards
1999: FFC’s founder and then-president Darrel Whipple received the Outstanding Volunteer Award from the Columbia Soil & Water Conservation District “in recognition of volunteer activities in support and direction of the Friends of Fox Creek Project and participation in promoting the conservation activities of the District and the Lower Columbia River Watershed Council.”
2001: FFC received the Natural Resources Conservation Service's Earth Team Volunteer Group Award for the West Region of the United States.
Friends of Fox Creek is a non-profit, tax-exempt charitable organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Donations are tax deductible as allowable by law.
© 2015 Friends of Fox Creek | info@friendsoffoxcreek.org