Status: Underway
Governor updates the statewide salmon strategy and requires a work plan every 2 years to direct implementation.
The first Statewide Strategy to Recover Salmon: Extinction is not an option and its executive summary were written in 1999 and did much to bring people together to try to save this iconic species. The plan was updated in 2006, Statewide Strategy to Recovery Salmon: The Washington Way, and again in 2021. From Governor Inslee: “This document details the priorities that will bring us closer to saving salmon, Washington’s economy and our way of life. Making these recommendations a reality will not only secure Washington’s natural heritage, but they will better honor our treaties with tribes and amend past injustices.”
The updated salmon strategy (2021 Governor’s Salmon Strategy Update) calls for the following actions:
- Protect and restore vital salmon habitat.
- Invest in clean water infrastructure for salmon and people.
- Correct fish passage barriers and restore salmon access to historical habitat.
- Build climate resiliency.
- Align harvest, hatcheries, and hydropower with salmon recovery.
- Address predation and food web issues for salmon.
- Enhance commitments and coordination across agencies and programs.
- Strengthen science, monitoring, and accountability.
Salmon Strategy Fact Sheet: Governor’s Salmon Strategy Update