John Roland October 25, 1957 to October 10, 2021

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Published: Monday, 17 January 2022 17:54

The Lake Roosevelt communities lost a great friend and advocate for protecting our lands and waters.

John Roland was a Senior Hydrogeologist with the Washington Department of Ecology’s Eastern Regional Office Toxics Cleanup Program. He specialized in Upper Columbia basin activities since 2004. This included taking the lead for state participation in the Upper Columbia River and Lake Roosevelt RI/FS. His knowledge of this complex undertaking was encyclopedic.

As a Forum board member and advocate, John was always known for being resolute with tireless integrity and a gentle manner. An avid outdoorsman, being in nature and with his wife was his happy place.

In 2019, The Forum was fortunate enough to interview John for a Getting to Know article featuring him. Said John of the people in our communities, “They are independent, proud and resilient, all want a better greater upper Columbia, each bringing culture and values that add to the uniqueness of the area. On my best days I’m proud to say we’re working together to protect future generations by supporting a healthy, upper Columbia River Valley and river extending through Lake Roosevelt.”

John’s most recent work included developing options for cleanup of the Northport City Park shoreline area. If all goes well, cleanup will begin in 2023 or 2024. One cleanup option includes creating an overlook with a park bench facing the river. The Forum would like to work with Ecology and the Town of Northport for that bench to honor John’s tireless work for a safe, clean environment.