Governor Gregoire Receives Plan For Hood Canal Salmon Recovery

For Immediate Release: April 7, 2006

Governor's Salmon Office releases report on statewide strategy to recover salmon


OLYMPIA - Governor Chris Gregoire today during a ceremony accepted the summer chum salmon recovery plan from the Hood Canal Coordinating Council.

"Salmon are icons of our Northwest culture and the foundation for the health of our watersheds. If the salmon are not doing well, our watersheds are not doing well - and neither are we," said Governor Gregoire. "Up until now, the focus has been on getting these plans done. Now we need to move forward and emphasize getting these plans implemented on the ground."

Wild salmon play a critical role in Washington's economy and way of life and serve as an indication of the overall health of our watersheds. The plan emphasizes a commitment to ensuring that Washington's actions benefit salmon as well as the communities that depend upon them. Recreational and commercial fishing, for example, are a combined billion dollar a year industry in Washington and support rural jobs and small businesses across the state.

"Our approach integrates economic and environmental concerns in a way that engenders a new kind of prosperity for our state, one that enriches today without impoverishing tomorrow," said Governor Gregoire.

Fifteen salmon species, covering 75 percent of Washington, are listed under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA). The Hood Canal Summer Chum Draft Recovery Plan is part of a larger statewide strategy to support locally developed recovery plans in response to the ESA listings. Local organizations from five other areas in Washington have developed similar draft recovery plans - lower Columbia, mid-Columbia, Snake River, upper Columbia and Puget Sound.

The handoff today coincided with the release of the, "Statewide Strategy to Recover Salmon: Responding to Federal Endangered Species Act Listings 'The Washington Way,'" a report from the Governor's Salmon Recovery Office. The report summarizes the efforts of local citizens and watersheds, agriculture and business, state and tribal governments who have worked on behalf of salmon recovery across Washington.

"The key to our success is collaboration," said Governor Gregoire. "We have used it in this watershed based approach to salmon recovery and it was the key in resolving age-old battles this legislative session over the use of Columbia River water. We call this approach 'the Washington Way."


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