The Center for Environmental Law and Policy

What The Center for Environmental Law and Policy does

The Center for Environmental Law and Policy (CELP) is a Washington State 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1993 by University of Washington Law School Professor Ralph W. Johnson and public interest lawyer Rachael Paschal Osborn. It is described as the only statewide organization working full-time to change water policy in Washington, operating through four interlocking strategies: public education, legislative and agency advocacy, policy reform, and public interest litigation. Its doctrinal foundation is the Public Trust Doctrine and federal Indian water rights law, with tribal treaty rights placed at the center of its mission. The organization is headquartered at 85 S. Washington St., Suite 201 in Seattle, with a staff of 1-10 supported by volunteers and pro bono attorneys.

CELP's substantive work spans instream flow protection, groundwater permit-exemption reform, watershed planning across Washington's 62 Water Resource Inventory Areas (WRIAs), salmon habitat restoration, and Columbia River Treaty modernization. Documented outcomes include the 2013 Swinomish Decision preserving Skagit River instream flow, the 2016 defense of the Dungeness Instream Flow Rule, legislative funding secured in 2021 for Nooksack River Basin adjudication, and CELP board member Christian Murillo's documentation of the $3.8 billion settlement between Seattle and Skagit Basin tribes. CELP serves Washington State tribes as its primary constituency, alongside Washington citizens, state agencies and legislators, and pro bono legal volunteers.

Revenue is generated almost entirely through individual donations (PayPal, GiveBIG newsletter appeals, Board matching funds) and the annual Celebrate Waters fundraising event with ticket sales of $65 per person and tiered corporate sponsorships. There are no disclosed fees for legal services, no membership dues, and no government contracts. The organization operates a quarterly Washington Water Watch newsletter, a Water Stories community engagement program, an annual Ralph W. Johnson Water Hero Award (presented since at least 2001), and partnerships with Earthjustice, Save Our Wild Salmon, Sierra Club, Washington Water Trust, and multiple Waterkeeper affiliates. Chris Wilke became Executive Director in September 2025, replacing Trish Rolfe.

Name

The Center for Environmental Law and Policy

Legal name

Center for Environmental Law & Policy

Website

https://celp.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Center for Environmental Law and Policy is a Washington State 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 1993, that uses litigation, legislative advocacy, and education to protect instream flows, tribal treaty water rights, and watershed health across Washington State.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Law and Policy Advocacy

NAICS

Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (924), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241), Administration of Air and Water Resource and Solid Waste Management Programs (92411), Administration of Conservation Programs (92412)

SIC

Water Supply (4941)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental Policy, Planning & Regulation (BPAIAMAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE), State/Provincial Environmental Protection & Natural Resources Administration (BPAIABAL)

Keywords

• Environmental law advocacy
• Water policy reform
• Tribal treaty rights
• Public interest litigation
• Watershed planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: CELP raises funds through individual donations via PayPal, newsletter campaigns (GiveBIG), and direct appeals to supporters. The organization has secured matching funds from its Board of Directors.
2. Event Sponsorships: Annual Celebrate Waters event generates revenue through ticket sales ($65 per person, $55 early bird) and corporate sponsorships at various levels (Presenting Sponsor, River Sponsor, Stream Sponsor, Water Advocates).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The Center for Environmental Law and Policy (CELP) is Washington State's only statewide nonprofit organization working full-time to change water policy. Founded in 1993, CELP protects, preserves, and restores Washington's waters through public interest litigation, legislative and agency advocacy, tribal treaty rights support, watershed planning assistance, and public education. Its work is grounded in the Public Trust Doctrine and prioritizes tribal sovereignty and senior water rights held by Washington's Indigenous Nations.

Product overview

The Center for Environmental Law and Policy (CELP) is a nonprofit advocacy organization rather than a technology product company. Its primary offerings consist of advocacy services, public interest litigation, educational programs, and community engagement initiatives focused on protecting Washington's waters. The organization operates programs including the quarterly Washington Water Watch publication, the annual Celebrate Waters event, the Ralph Johnson Water Hero Award, public interest litigation services, tribal water rights advocacy, watershed planning support, annual Lobby Day events, and various educational programs covering water law, water management, tribal treaty rights, and water conservation. These offerings form an integrated advocacy ecosystem supporting policy reform, legal action, education, and community engagement for water protection in Washington State.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Celebrate Waters Event

Quantifiable outcome

• Successful litigation upholding Dungeness Instream Flow Rule in 2016
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Puget SoundkeepercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 February 2026CELP collaborated with Puget Soundkeeper and other Waterkeeper partners (Spokane Riverkeeper, Columbia Riverkeeper, Twin Harbors Waterkeeper) to revive the Clean and Abundant Waters Lobby Day, meeting with over 25 legislators.
• ColumbianaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 September 2018Partnered with CELP and Sierra Club to file a Notice of Intent to Sue the Okanogan County PUD, National Marine Fisheries Service, and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission over Similkameen River dam's effect on ESA-listed salmon.
• Sierra ClubcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2014Sierra Club co-hosts the Ethics & Treaty Project with CELP and the Columbia Institute for Water Policy. The project promotes stewardship and justice principles in modernizing the Columbia River Treaty. They also co-filed a Notice of Intent to Sue regarding Similkameen River dam.
• Columbia River Treaty RoundtablecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2013CELP co-convened the Columbia River Treaty Roundtable with organizations from both the US and Canada. The Roundtable serves as an international forum for discussing transboundary environmental, social justice, and governance issues in the Columbia River Basin.
• Save Our Wild SalmoncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2013In April 2013, CELP and Save Our Wild Salmon formed the Columbia River Treaty NGO Treaty Caucus, bringing together 12 environmental organizations to advocate for modernizing the Columbia River Treaty. The coalition works in alliance with 15 Columbia River Tribes to restore salmon habitat and ecosystem functions.
• Upper Columbia Basin Environmental Collaborative (UCBEC)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2013Canadian counterpart NGO formed to work with the US NGO Treaty Caucus. UCBEC educates Canadian citizens about opportunities to benefit ecosystems through a modernized Columbia River Treaty.
• EarthjusticecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013CELP partnered with Earthjustice to file a friend of court brief supporting the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community's effort to protect the Skagit River. Earthjustice and CELP successfully argued that Ecology cannot allow new water withdrawals that would impair stream-flows.
• Washington Water TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1997CELP co-founded Washington Water Trust in 1997. The organization is dedicated to protecting and restoring free-flowing waters in Washington state through water rights transactions and conservation.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Earthjustice: Earthjustice partnered with CELP on the Swinomish Skagit River litigation and is a leading environmental law firm running public interest cases on water, climate, and tribal rights, making it a direct peer in Washington water advocacy.
• Twin Harbors Waterkeeper: Twin Harbors Waterkeeper is another Waterkeeper Alliance affiliate collaborating with CELP on the Clean and Abundant Waters Lobby Day, operating on Washington's Pacific coast with similar community-led water advocacy.
• Columbia Riverkeeper: Columbia Riverkeeper is a Waterkeeper Alliance affiliate that partnered with CELP on the Lobby Day; it is a comparable grassroots water advocacy organization operating in the Columbia Basin.
• Columbia Institute for Water Policy: Columbia Institute for Water Policy co-hosts the Ethics & Treaty Project with CELP and Sierra Club and provides Canadian-side transboundary water policy expertise relevant to the Columbia River Treaty.
• Washington Water Trust: Co-founded by CELP in 1997, Washington Water Trust protects and restores free-flowing waters in Washington through water rights transactions and conservation, sharing CELP's freshwater protection mission and Washington State focus.
• Puget Soundkeeper: Puget Soundkeeper collaborated with CELP on the revived Clean and Abundant Waters Lobby Day and shares water protection advocacy in Washington State; new CELP ED Chris Wilke previously served as its Executive Director.
• Save Our Wild Salmon: Save Our Wild Salmon co-leads the Columbia River Treaty NGO Treaty Caucus with CELP and shares the salmon restoration and river habitat mission across the Pacific Northwest.
• Spokane Riverkeeper: Spokane Riverkeeper is a Waterkeeper Alliance affiliate and Clean and Abundant Waters Lobby Day partner with CELP, sharing a Washington State freshwater advocacy mission.

Broad incumbents

• Waterkeeper Alliance: Waterkeeper Alliance is the global umbrella for Waterkeeper affiliates that work alongside CELP on Lobby Day; new ED Chris Wilke was previously Senior Global Advocacy Manager there, and its mission of swimmable, drinkable water closely aligns with CELP's.
• Sierra Club (Washington State Chapter): Sierra Club co-hosts the Ethics & Treaty Project with CELP and co-filed the Similkameen Notice of Intent to Sue; though much larger and broader in scope, its Washington chapter operates in overlapping water and tribal advocacy spaces.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCVx5nNFtOJIu4Q1U0vDbAeg
• Facebookfacebook.com/CELPwater
• Instagraminstagram.com/celpwater

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Center for Environmental Law and Policy