SONOMA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA (June 22, 2023) Sonoma County Tourism (SCT), as the region’s official Destination Stewardship Organization, has joined the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors and other organizations in the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the Russian River Confluence. The signing of the MOU was authorized with unanimous approval by the Sonoma County Tourism Board of Directors at its May 24 meeting. The signing represents a formal pledge of commitment to working with the Russian River Confluence in its mission to protect the health of the Russian River watershed.
Efforts to address issues revolving around the health of the river, the supply of water that flows through it, and the impacts of climate change have been fragmented among county, state and federal agencies as well as tribes and nonprofits. The Confluence serves as a hub where stakeholders can work collaboratively to share information and obtain resources to preserve and restore the Russian River watershed.
“With hundreds of thousands of visitors enjoying the river each year, it’s imperative we collaborate with groups like the Russian River Confluence to ensure the long-term health of this priceless natural resource,” said Kelly Bass Seibel, Vice President of Community Engagement at Sonoma County Tourism.
Just in time for the busy summer season, the Russian River Confluence has launched “Respect Russian River,” a marketing campaign to create awareness about the health of the river and spark an active community of stewards. Similar to the “Keep Tahoe Blue” initiative that has galvanized efforts to protect and restore the Lake Tahoe Basin, the Respect Russian River campaign calls on visitors, residents, and businesses to clean up pollution, remove invasive species, recharge groundwater, and learn more about the importance of the watershed. Bumper stickers, T-shirts, water bottles, tote bags, pins, and other branded merchandise are available to buy from local stores with a portion of the proceeds going to the Confluence and its efforts to revitalize the Russian River. Merchandise and a list of retailers can be viewed at respectrussianriver.org.
A video produced by Sonoma County Tourism discussing the Russian River Confluence and the Respect Russian River campaign can be viewed at https://youtu.be/_-m4G_TiKZI.
A media kit with high-resolution images of the Respect Russian River logo, merchandise, and other materials is available at https://tinyurl.com/4nw43pu5.
###
Media Contact for Sonoma County Tourism:
Birgitt Vaughan
Director of Public Relations
bvaughan@sonomacounty.com
707-522-5826
About Sonoma County Tourism:
Sonoma County Tourism (SCT) is the region’s official Destination Stewardship Organization. Through a multi-channel sales and marketing program, the organization promotes Sonoma County as a global visitor and meetings destination, where diversity thrives, and everyone is welcome. Stewardship and Sustainability remain at the forefront of everything Sonoma County Tourism does. As the nation’s first Destination Stewardship Organization, located in the most sustainable wine region in the world, SCT strives to create and adopt best practices aimed at protecting and preserving our destination for generations to come. To learn more about SCT’s commitment to sustainability, visit sonomacounty.com/sustainable.
About Russian River Confluence:
The Russian River Confluence is a collaboration of partners dedicated to creating a generational shift in restoring, renewing, and celebrating the future of the Russian River watershed. Initially launched in 2017, the organization brought together stakeholders for a series of conversations to tap the collective capacity of the Russian River Watershed community. These informal conversations later coalesced into a partnership Memorandum of Understanding with water agencies, county and state entities, nonprofits, and tribal partners participating from throughout Mendocino and Sonoma County to work together for the health of the watershed. You can learn more about the Russian River Confluence and its mission at russianriverconfluence.org.
