In 1992 Robert Redford directed the movie version of a small autobiographical novella by Norman Maclean, "A River Runs Through It", that brought the sport of fly fishing back into the limelight where it experienced significant growth. But an indirect effect of greater importance was the sudden focus given to cold-water conservation. As increasing numbers of people entered the sport they quickly became aware of the fragility of cold-water habitats, and just as the sport enjoyed a resurgence, so did the conservation efforts.

As Orvis CEO Perk Perkins stated in a discussion about the potential overcrowding of anglers, "The more people that love the rivers, the better off the rivers will be."

Tom Skerritt who played the Reverend Maclean, was as affected as anyone about the need to protect our rivers.

"How could we not be affected," said Skerritt, "spending so much time in those environs during filming and dealing with such a seminal work on a man's relationship with a river? It opens your eyes to the spectacular nature of pristine water, and even more so to the damage done to them."

Skerritt became actively involved with American Rivers, a leading conservation organization founded in 1973 to restore and protect American's rivers, and he is currently an American Rivers Board Member. Now Orvis and American Rivers are partnering to help restore two treasured rivers.

"The two rivers are the Sacramento River, arguably the most important watershed in California, and the Yellow Breeches in Pennsylvania, one of the most storied fly-fishing rivers in the country, and a tributary of the Susquehanna," said Skerritt. "To bring these rivers back would be a significant contribution to conservation and a great benefit to both regions."

Help us restore these two great rivers. Your contribution will be matched by Orvis, doubling your donation of $100 to $200. Our goal is to raise $120,000 with your help. You can contribute online at orvis.com/americanrivers or send your tax-deductible contribution, made payable to: