Twenty years of success on salmon recovery has been guided by Washington’s Forests and Fish Law.
Since 1999, the rules that private forest landowners live by have prioritized a great deal of hard and important work done toward a mission we all share: to protect cool, clean water so that salmon have the best opportunity to thrive.
The investments on forestland streams have improved the conditions on critical portions of the salmon’s habitat — enabling state and local authorities to focus on the other threats and dangers that persist.
Finding areas where efforts could be refocused is not difficult. For example, stormwater runoff is killing Coho as soon as they return to their natal streams during the spawning cycle — a fatal hazard affecting 40% of their range in the Puget Sound.
As state and local officials look to enlarge the collaboration working for the survival of salmon, the experience in our forests may help guide better outcomes in resolving persistent downstream concerns.
In a March/April poll of voters in King County, 68% agree that water quality in upper watersheds is healthier for salmon …
… 84% believe that state government should make lower watersheds a bigger priority …
… and 86% of voters in King County support the forest products industry’s efforts to restore salmon populations.
Please submit your email and we will share periodic emails about developments and progress toward broadening collaborations to protect cool, clean water in Washington’s fish-bearing streams.
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