Background and Vision
Ridges to Riffles Indigenous Conservation Group (R2R) was established in 2022 by Co-Founders Amy Bowers-Cordalis (Yurok) and Molli Myers (Karuk). Amy is an attorney and fisherwoman whose family still lives at the ancient village of Rek-woi at the mouth of the Klamath River. Molli is a nonprofit leader, grassroots organizer, and cultural steward from the Klamath River. Together, they envisioned an Indigenous-led organization that elevates Tribal voices and leadership in conservation, law, and policy, rooted in family, traditional ecological knowledge (TEK), and community resilience.
R2R’s vision is to partner with and advocate for Indigenous Peoples in natural and cultural resource efforts across Indian Country, advancing restoration, land rematriation, and climate resilience. Founded on the belief that Indigenous wisdom and people have the power to heal our families, communities, and the planet, R2R is building an organization that upholds inherent responsibilities and traditional values while collaborating with Tribal governments and communities to protect and restore lands, waters, and cultural lifeways.
R2R now operates with a small, all-Indigenous professional staff and Board of Directors. The organization has secured funding to support restoration and land stewardship in the Klamath Basin and is focused on building long-term capacity as an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit. With active projects ranging from monitoring post dam removal conditions and salmon restoration to inter-Tribal coalition building and legal defense of cultural and natural resources, R2R is helping to define what Indigenous-led conservation looks like in practice—resilient, collaborative, and rooted in culture.
AMY BOWERS CORDALIS (Yurok)
Executive Director
Amy Bowers Cordalis is a mother, fisherwoman, attorney, and member of the Yurok Tribe. She served her Tribe as General Counsel and was a staff attorney at the Native American Rights Fund.
Amy’s family is from the village of Rek-Woi at the mouth of the Klamath River in Northern California. Since colonization, every generation of Amy’s family has fought for Yurok Rights. Her family’s Supreme Court case, Mattz v. Arnett, reaffirmed the status of the Yurok Reservation as Indian Country, laying the foundation for the exercise of the Tribe’s sovereignty and the enjoyment of its federally reserved water and fishing rights. Amy continues her family legacy by focusing her work on Klamath River restoration, including dam removal, water rights, and fisheries issues.
For reading, speaking engagements, literary, and dramatic rights:
Mark Tauber: live@thewatermarkagency.com
For general assistance or media inquiries:
MOLLI MYERS (Karuk)
Chief Operations Officer
Vice-Principal of Operations Molli Myers is a Karuk Tribal member, raised at the village of Vuunharaáx, near the place where the mouth of the Salmon River meets the Klamath.
For over two decades, Molli has worked on the campaign to remove the Klamath River Dams, helping to form the grassroots organization known as the Klamath Justice Coalition. During that time, Molli also worked in Tribal natural resources administration, operations, and grants compliance roles. Molli brings to R2R her extensive understanding of and experience in organizational development and management, as well as generations of traditional and cultural knowledge.
Molli comes from a family and community that emphasized her inherent responsibility as a steward of the land and a fix-the-world person. Together with her husband, Frankie, they continue seeking protection and preservation of ancestral lands and cultural resources, while raising their five children to carry on the tradition.
mmyers@ridgestoriffles.org
Stephanie Quinn-Davidson (Brothertown)
Science and Policy Director
Dr. Stephanie Quinn-Davidson is a fisheries scientist and has worked in salmon fisheries for over a decade. Her work focuses on protecting and sustaining fisheries and those who depend on them, and elevating Indigenous perspectives and voices in cultural and natural resource policy, management, and advocacy.
Stephanie brings her extensive experience and expertise working with Tribes across Alaska to protect their way of life and traditional fishing practices to the Ridges to Riffles team and priorities. Most recently, Stephanie was the Program Director for Fisheries and Communities with Alaska Venture Fund, working with Tribes to capitalize on the once-in-a-lifetime federal funding opportunities and leveraging those opportunities with private philanthropic support. Prior to this work, Stephanie was the director of the Yukon River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission with Tanana Chiefs Conference, and a fishery biologist, then a fishery manager for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game on the Yukon River. Stephanie has served as an interim board member to the Certified Seafood Collective, was appointed to the Advisory Council for the University of Alaska – Fairbanks College of Fisheries and Oceans, and was the President of the Alaska Chapter of American Fisheries Society. Stephanie was also appointed to the Regional Advisory Council for the Bureau of Land Management in Alaska. She was previously selected as an Alaska Salmon Fellow. Before moving to Alaska, Stephanie was a professor in the Environmental Studies and Biology Departments at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota. Stephanie has a PhD in Limnology and Marine Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a bachelor’s degree in Biology from Grinnell College.
Stephanie was born in Gresham, Wisconsin, and grew up in a rural area where she spent her childhood playing in the woods and on the rivers and lakes. Hunting and fishing were a big part of her upbringing and family tradition. She is an enrolled member of the Brothertown Indian Tribe of Wisconsin. She enjoys traveling and exploring the outdoors with her wife, son, and two dogs.
Vanessa Castle (Lower Elwha Klallam)
Tribal Engagement Coordinator
Vanessa Castle is a proud member of the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe from Port Angeles, Washington, where she grew up fishing the storied waters of the Elwha River. A dedicated advocate for Indigenous stewardship, Vanessa has transitioned her deep connection to the land and water into a career focused on protecting natural resources. Currently pursuing her undergraduate degree in Natural Resources, her passion for this work was ignited during her five years as a Fisheries and Wildlife Technician for her Tribe.
Vanessa’s journey to environmental advocacy took root after her time on the frontlines of the Dakota Access Pipeline protests in North Dakota, where she stood in solidarity with water protectors. This transformative experience inspired her to pivot from her previous role in Indian Child Welfare to championing Indigenous rights in the realm of natural resource management.
As a mother, Vanessa finds profound joy in sharing her culture with her son. Together, they spend their time fishing, gathering traditional foods, and honoring the ways of their ancestors. Vanessa’s work at Ridges to Riffles is driven by her commitment to ensuring that tribal voices remain at the forefront of conservation efforts, helping to guide the restoration and protection of vital ecosystems for future generations.
