Russ Busch, Water Hero 2010

Russ grew up in Pullman where he fished the rivers of northern Idaho and eastern Washington, hunted pheasants in the Palouse hills with this father and grandfather, and developed a love of the outdoors. He attended WSU where he studied English and went on to graduate from the UW School of Law. After earning his JD he went on to serve as a clerk in the Washington State Court of Appeals before commencing his career as a practicing attorney. Over the years, particularly after joining Evergreen Legal Services in 1976, he handled many environmental matters on behalf of Indian tribes in the Northwest, including opposition to the Skagit Nuclear Plant and the High Ross and Copper Creek Dams, none of which were built. As an advocate for the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe he fought to save the historic Tse-whit-zen Village from destruction and remove the dams on the Elwha River. His passion for restoring the Elwha salmon runs culminated in the nationally publicized recent removal of the Elwha Dam with the Glines Canyon Dam set to be removed next year.

We are honored to present Russ with the Ralph W. Johnson Water Hero Award for his landmark advocacy.