Annual Report 2023
Last year, during my annual rafting trip along the Colorado River, I reflected on the many ways our work mirrors the path of this mighty waterway. The river has cut canyons over millennia, descending from majestic peaks and etching passages, uncovering the past through red, orange, and pink sandstone layers that future generations will treasure.
Along one section of my journey, I saw the black Visnu Schist – a nearly 2-billion-year-old rock formation that is found in just a handful of the canyons carved by the river. Its stark black color, contrasting the red rocks that make up most of the canyon walls, provided a moment of awe and reflection. The nature of WRA’s work is akin to these geological formations – steadfast, layered, and enduring.
Today’s accomplishments are the result of 35 years of persistence and commitment to creating robust public policies to solve the climate crisis. Much like the layers of rock that tell the story of our planet’s history, each layer of our work represents years of creating solutions and making measurable change – each building on the next.
We are, like the river, shaping the future of the environment, economy, and resilience of the West. By building critical layers of protection and preservation, we are positively impacting the environment and the communities that depend on it for life itself.
I’m proud to share WRA’s 2023 accomplishments with you. In the stories that follow, we demonstrate how WRA’s work continues to evolve to address complex conservation problems through strategic, science-based policymaking. We share how advocacy with utilities can create outsized investments in electrification and rewrite the rules of energy planning. We’ll show how careful research can inform critical decisions for our water future and how implementing decarbonization goals can generate outcomes for both public health and the economy.
I hope you see how our unique skill – driving state-level action – creates change at the scale and pace necessary to drive progress in solving the climate crisis. Our work today sets the stage for a viable tomorrow. The urgency of our mission has never been more apparent. Now is the time to address these threats to create a livable climate, thriving wildlife, and beautiful, protected landscapes for all to enjoy.
Our community of supporters has been instrumental in shaping WRA’s past, present, and future. Your generosity and willingness to meet the scale of the crisis with tangible action has helped form the solid foundation we need to prepare us for the challenges ahead. Together, with perseverance and hard work, we are driving policies and carving out our impact across the West – with each layer bringing us closer to a bright climate future.
