Dubois, Mark, 1949-

Mark Dubois, a rafting guide, river activist and early leader of the Friends of the River Foundation, chained himself to a boulder in May 1979, in order to protect the lower Stanislaus River from being inundated by the New Melones Dam. The project was delayed but not defeated. Dubois is currently active in the International Earth Day movement.

From the description of Mark Dubois papers, 1970-2002. (University of California, Berkeley). WorldCat record id: 707141718

Biographical Information

Born on February 24, 1949, Mark Dubois was raised in Sacramento, California and spent much time rafting the Stanislaus River and exploring its canyons. In 1972 he co-founded Environmental Traveling Companions, a non-profit rafting outfit specializing in taking delinquent and inner-city children and disabled adults down the Stanislaus.

Dubois began his career as an environmental advocate in 1973 when he took up the fight to save the Stanislaus River from being dammed, co-founding Friends of the River to organize the campaign. Dubois rose to national prominence when, in 1979, he chained himself to the Stanislaus River canyon bedrock as the new reservoir was being filled. His action resulted in a temporary halt in the filling of the reservoir, buying time for legal action and the formation of a legislative campaign to save the Stanislaus River. Despite these efforts, the reservoir was filled in 1982, but Dubois continued his work on behalf of the natural environment, co-founding the International Rivers Network in 1984 and serving as International Coordinator for Earth Day 1990 and 2000. Recognizing the devastating effects of dams around the world and the promotion of dams as "development," his work has expanded to include lobbying the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. In 1991, Dubois founded WorldWise, a grassroots campaign for international bank reform, challenging the World Bank to reform and redirect their investments to fund projects with more positive and sustainable social, environmental, and economic benefits.

From the guide to the Mark Dubois papers, 1970-2002, (The Bancroft Library)