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A river for all

HAP’s mission and role in the community is to transform Portland’s relationship with the river that flows through the heart of our city.  Our work has catalyzed a cultural shift in how Portlanders feel about and engage with the river.

 

In the process, we’ve revived a century-old heritage of river recreation and reclaimed a vital community public space. We’ve also changed outdated perceptions about water quality, which has improved tremendously in recent years thanks to the Big Pipe.

 

Our ultimate goal is to help Portlanders connect with their river and feel empowered to swim, recreate, and serve as proud environmental stewards of it. The Willamette River is Portland’s second largest public space and natural area. 

HAP three-point strategy:

  1. Build it: Create a human habitat and more accessibility points to the Willamette River in Portland.
  2. Use it: Inspire people to connect with the Willamette River and embrace it.
  3. Love it: Facilitate conservation, education, and stewardship of the Willamette River and watershed.
  4. Sustain it: as Jacques Cousteau said so well. "People protect what they love".

 

Since our inception, HAP has met every strategic goal including:  facilitating the creation of six public swimming areas, clearing 350 tons of concrete from river edge spaces, and fostering an exponential increase in river engagement (with 25k+ people to The Big Float over 10 years and an estimated 3,000 people per week engaging with new swim spaces across Portland).

 

Today, HAP is the recognized community leader in Portland for river access, recreation, and toxic algae solutions. Our strength lies in effectively engaging partners and community leaders to collaborate on issues of mutual interest, leveraging our respective resources.

 

Community representation and inclusion is at the center of our mission. HAP has an active DEIA committee and prioritizes BIPOC and female board members for new positions. The Executive Director actively collaborates with the Board for assistance with technical expertise, networking and decision-making.

 

HAP is proud to be acknowledged as innovators and trailblazers statewide, nationally and globally.  We have developed a replicable model of cultural change that communities around the world can follow.  We’ve built strong momentum over the years and look forward to our next chapter of service to the Portland community.