About Us
Our Vision for the Greater Hells Canyon Region
GHCC is meeting the moment at a critical time for the Greater Hells Canyon Region. We are convening our Council for the work ahead. From the coffee shops and meeting rooms to the river canyons and wildflower meadows, we come together on behalf of this amazing region. We invite you to join us in the work and breathe life into our vision of a region of abundant, biodiverse, and connected lands and waters where all wild species and human communities thrive.
Our mission is to connect, protect, and restore the wild lands, waters, native species and habitats of the Greater Hells Canyon Region, ensuring a legacy of healthy ecosystems for future generations.
Our Approach and Programs
We work across an expansive mission area that is highly rural, largely intact, and with communities new and old, human and wild, that have a deep connection to the land. To make a positive impact on the future of the region, our programs and grassroots efforts work to connect people to people, people to place, and place to place.
Our Values
We lead and connect through a set of shared values. These values guide us as we build common ground with individuals, organizations and communities across the Greater Hells Canyon Region that share a goal to see the region thrive. We show up with:
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Love
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Connection
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Integrity
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An aspiration for Justice
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Resilience
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Efficacy
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A commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
We invite you to learn more about how we apply these values in our day to day work.
Our Council - a 50+ Year History of Grassroots Advocacy and Conservation
Greater Hells Canyon Council’s work goes back to 1967 when we stopped the effort to dam the Snake River through Hells Canyon. Our advocacy helped to create the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area, and this legacy continues to inspire our work today.
From the start, our council was a diverse group of people passionate about maintaining the ecological function of Hells Canyon's ecosystems. This meant breaking the status quo. Grassroots power successfully challenged the mainstream view espousing dam building to control nature for the benefit of human industry.
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​We continue to apply the lessons from our early days. It takes people showing up and making their voices heard. It takes art, music, laughter, and camaraderie to build a grassroots network that can foster the conditions for our region to thrive.
