WSC, Bristol Bay Allies Head to DC for
Final EPA Push 

On May 10, Wild Salmon Center and members of our Defend Bristol Bay coalition—led by the United Tribes of Bristol Bay—joined Rep. Jared Huffman (CA-02) on the steps of the U.S. Capitol to push lawmakers and the EPA to finally finish the task of stopping Pebble Mine. The trip comes in advance of EPA’s expected late-May release of a proposed final ruling on 404(c) Clean Water Act protections for Bristol Bay. The release will kick-start a new window for public comments, in what might be the most important action period yet in our long, hard-fought campaign to save Bristol Bay.

Oregon Private Forest Accord Is Law

On May 18, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown signed the Private Forest Accord into law. This move culminates years of behind-the-scenes negotiations between timber and conservation groups led by WSC Oregon Policy Director Bob Van Dyk. This historic legislation overhauls the existing Oregon Forest Practices Act to better protect wild salmon streams on more than 10 million acres of private Oregon forestlands, and secures significant new protections for fisheries, for cold clean water, and for the people who rely on these resources.

On the West Susitna, Stopping a "Road to Nowhere" 

Alaska's vast size is inspiring. Unfortunately, that canvas can also increase the scale of folly when it comes to attempts to exploit natural resources. (A history detailed in this new independent report.) Take the new "West Susitna Access Road"—a 100-mile, publicly-financed plan to pierce a roadless area home to one of North America’s largest undammed rivers. The Susitna River is an ecological treasure, one that supports five Pacific salmon species, stunning wildlife, a commercial fishery, and more than 20 backcountry sport fishing lodges. That's why we're part of a campaign to stop this road to nowhere.

Our Coast Coho Partnership's New Online Home 

We're proudly unveiling our Coast Coho Partnership's website. Seven years ago, we launch this public-private partnership with the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board, Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife, NOAA Fisheries, NOAA Restoration Center, and the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation alongside WSC. In the years since, we've picked up serious momentum: securing millions of dollars for salmon restoration projects up and down the Oregon Coast. Best yet, we're just getting started! Get to know the Coast Coho Partnership and our work here.

Meet Michelle Cramer, Our New Habitat Restoration Engineer

Habitat restoration work has come a long way over the course of Michelle Cramer's long career with the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife. The field today draws on cutting-edge practices across many scientific disciplines, from biology and ecology to GIS analysis and hydraulics. And it certainly takes a skilled environmental engineer like Cramer. Now she brings this expertise to Wild Salmon Center. As our new Habitat Restoration Engineer, she’ll help expand our work to restore salmon habitat across the Pacific Northwest. Welcome, Michelle!

The mission of the Wild Salmon Center is to promote the conservation and sustainable use of wild salmon ecosystems across the Pacific Rim.

Photo/image credits (from top): (from left to right: Curyung Tribal Council Chief and UTBB board member Thomas Tilden, UTBB Deputy Director Delores Larson, and UTBB Executive Director Alannah Hurley (courtesy Defend Bristol Bay); Governor Kate Brown signing Oregon Private Forest Accord (Andrea Lonas); Alaska's Susitna River (Alamy); Oregon Coast Coho (Tom and Pat Leeson); Michelle Cramer (WSC); Black bear and her spirit cub (Alamy).

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