Roadmapping Steelhead Returns

The roadblocks to salmon and steelhead recovery are myriad—from commercial harvest to hatcheries to regulatory red tape and everything in between. Now NOAA Fisheries is requesting your review and comment on its proposed Endangered Species Act recovery plan for Lower Columbia River salmon and steelhead. The plan addresses recovery of chinook, coho, and steelhead, and Columbia River chum, all of which spawn and rear in the lower Columbia River or its tributaries in Oregon and Washington.

"The proposed plan provides a road map to recover four salmon and steelhead species that spawn and rear in the lower Columbia River or its tributaries in Oregon and Washington: Lower Columbia River chinook salmon, Lower Columbia River steelhead, Lower Columbia River coho salmon, and Columbia River chum salmon. These salmon and steelhead were listed as threatened under the ESA between 1998 and 2005.

"Under the ESA, a recovered salmon or steelhead species must be self-sustaining and able to survive typical variations in ocean conditions and productivity. Healthy, abundant salmon runs can provide opportunities for sustainable harvest and allow local communities, including tribes, to engage in their historical traditions."

The comment period ends July 16. The plan and its related documents can be found, here.