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Feather River Advocacy Project (FRAP) participants enjoy the scenic view of the Feather River from the banks. The sand and river stones shifted beneath our feet as we followed a narrow path along the Middle Fork of the Feather River. Cool air rose from the water, mixing with a warm breeze, carrying the sweet fragrance of mint and willow. Beside us, the river sang through a corridor of deep green sedges, willow thickets, mugwort, lupine, goldenrod, and countless other plant re

By: Taylor Pennewell, Co-founder, Executive Director Huddled together on a platform at the base of the Lake Oroville Barrier Dam, we watched as hundreds of salmon leapt with all their might, out of the Feather River and toward home. Deep in their DNA, the call of home was fierce, the songs, the smells, and the memories pulled them like a magnet from the ocean back to the waters of their ancestors. Desperate and determined to return, they hurled themselves from the water, only

A journey of restoration, reconnection, and a land coming back to life. By Crystal Brown, Project Coordinator, Feather River Advocacy Project The Road In The road into Yellow Creek Campground is long and dusty, winding through conifer woodlands and little meadows. As we drove in, my eyes caught on a shade structure standing off to the side, made from sturdy tree poles, with willow woven overhead. A few signs stood nearby, likely telling the story of this place. I thought to m

By Taylor Pennewell, Co-founder, Executive Director The impact of the Feather River Advocacy Project goes far beyond environmental issues. Bringing tribes and allies together for water advocacy isn’t just about policy briefings, scientific data, or restoring endangered species. Those things matter—but lasting change requires something deeper: healing the impacts of colonization on our people, our cultures, and our sense of safety so that we can do good advocacy work. That’s

When my Uncle Jimmy was just 16, he volunteered to fight in the Vietnam War. He left his Maidu homelands in Oroville, California, caught a bus to San Francisco, then San Diego, and was soon shipped overseas. After multiple tours, he hitchhiked his way back—through the oil fields of Bakersfield, across the Central Valley—and finally arrived home on his mother’s front porch. Oroville in the late 1950’s and 60’s was booming. Celebrities played in packed bars, and workers from a