2008 State of Salmon in Watersheds
2008 marks the 10th anniversary of Washington’s Salmon Recovery Act. Through these past years, Washingtonians have made some very remarkable progress in restoring habitat, improving fish hatchery practices, and making passage at hydroelectric facilities more fish friendly. The 2008 State of Salmon in Watersheds Report – the fifth produced by the Governor’s Salmon Recovery Office – chronicles what’s happening in watersheds, salmon recovery regions, and statewide in a manner that is easily understood by all audiences. The 2008 report may be downloaded in full or by individual section.
Salmon Recovery Plan Implementation Report Available
As requested by the legislature, the Governor’s Salmon Recovery Office has prepared a report on state and federal actions that are identified in salmon recovery plans as high priority for implementation. Six federally approved recovery plans for salmon and steelhead listed under the Endangered Species Act are now being implemented by Washington’s regional salmon recovery organizations, and this report identifies the highest priority state and federal actions specified in these plans to achieve their goals. While we recognize severe budget conditions may limit the ability of agencies and others to do some of this work, we also believe this information may be useful in providing guidance on the most important actions that should continue.
Highlights of the Salmon Recovery Plan Implementation: A Report on High-Priority State and Federal Actions Needed to Implement Salmon Recovery Plans include:
- State and federal actions needed to implement salmon recovery plans converge with the existing authorities and programs of state and federal agencies;
- Recovery plans identify 31 priority topics for action by 7 state agencies and 22 priority topics for action by 9 federal agencies;
- Tribal and local government and private sector recovery partners are also responsible for many priority actions to implement salmon recovery plans;
- Estimated total cost of implementing salmon recovery plans is $3.1 billion;
- $270 million is estimated as available in 2007-2009 for salmon recovery habitat projects, compared to an estimated $401 million needed for habitat projects in 2009-2011.