With our 2025 boating season underway, and amidst an admittedly disorienting array of uncertainties in our world at large, I am writing to share a bit about what’s on my mind and reaffirm some of our core values and commitment to environmental stewardship.

Here at OARS, we believe:

• Protecting Free-Flowing Rivers is Our Ongoing Mission: The fight for river conservation is never truly over, and we are dedicated to this cause.
• Clean Drinking Water is a Fundamental Human Right: We believe river runners have a responsibility to advocate for those lacking access to clean water.
• Public Lands are Essential to Our Shared Identity: These lands unite us and must be preserved for everyone, forever.
• Sustainable Practices are Vital for Small Business and the Environment: While small businesses across the country, including OARS, face stark economic challenges, prioritizing conservation and sustainability is the most responsible proposition in the face of a changing climate.

In 2024, our family-owned outfitting business contributed approximately $1 million in use fees to government agencies for operating river expeditions on public lands. We are proud to support local economies across the West, and contribute to the funding necessary to maintain the federal workforce that helps to manage these invaluable resources.  While the concerns have mostly abated that a hiring freeze for seasonal staff would disrupt access for our trips, it is nevertheless worth noting that our permits are secure and we have no doubts about guiding some of life’s greatest adventures all season long!

We here at OARS believe that river expeditions offer a unique opportunity to bring people together and find the common ground between diverse perspectives. Our rivers are for everyone, and we invite you to join us in our ongoing commitment to their protection and our shared values. 

In 2025, after a one-year hiatus due to the largest dam removal project in history, we’re especially excited to get back out on the Lower Klamath River in northern California. Snowpack in the majority of the Northwest is particularly abundant and we expect optimal flows on the Klamath, and also on Oregon’s Rogue River and the Salmon and the Snake River in Idaho. So without further ado, please check out our 2025 whitewater outlook and join us in feeling that spring-time “stoke!”

Hope to see you out there,

Tyler Wendt

President, OARS