California Water Policy Advisor, Defenders of Wildlife
Ashley Overhouse is FOR’s former Resilient Rivers Director and currently works as the Water Policy Advisor for the California Program at Defenders of Wildlife. The Water Policy Advisor is responsible for developing and implementing Defenders’ water policy and conservation initiatives, with priorities including the protection and restoration of wetlands, rivers and streams, with an emphasis on aquatic habitats in the San Francisco Bay-Delta and its watershed and Central Valley wetlands and national wildlife refuges. While at FOR, Ashley led coalitions, defended rivers in court, petitioned Governor Newsom to invest in our rivers and launched both the Ask Ashley segment on YouTube and an FOR podcast.
As a Bay Area and California native, Ashley is passionate about advocating for a sustainable water future for the golden state.
Ashley has focused her career on environmental law and policy, working for a variety of organizations such as the South Yuba River Citizens League (SYRCL), Earthjustice and the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research.
Ashley holds a B.A. in history and literature from the University of California Santa Cruz, a J.D. from the UC Hastings College of the Law, and an LL.M. in Environmental Law from the University of London, SOAS.
When not in the office, Ashley can be found with her family or near some body of water.