Kicking off the start of the 2023 Washington Legislative session, Senator Van De Wege (D-24) has introduced a new piece of legislation at the request of Governor Inslee that would permanently remove non-tribal commercial gillnet fisheries from the Washington side of the Lower Columbia River.
NOAA recommends an estimated $20M in funding for Trout Unlimited fish passage work
Last week, the NOAA Restoration Center recommended an estimated $20 million in funding for TU’s fish passage work, which includes our steelhead restoration efforts in both Washington and California.
A WDFW Internal Evaluation of Coastal Steelhead Hatchery Programs Points to Needed Changes
In late August, WDFW published a white paper that highlights data gaps and lack of compliance with Statewide Steelhead Management Plan guidelines for coastal steelhead hatchery programs.
A Wake-Up Call for the Washington Coast
A long-anticipated petition to list the Olympic Peninsula’s wild steelhead under the protections of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) has been submitted to federal agencies.
Steelhead Find an Unlikely Friend in Beavers
Beavers deliver conditions steelhead require in their spawning grounds — cold water, longer duration of wetted streambeds, and food-rich rearing habitat. Here’s why beavers are now part of the recovery toolbox for upper Columbia River steelhead.
Dirt low and slotted up: Coastal Washington recap
WSU ambassador, Lee Geist, shares his winter report from the Washington coast and provides his reflections on the current management quagmire.
Small waters, big fish
Our Washington Coast Restoration Program, is working in coastal watersheds of the Evergreen State to remove or replace decrepit culverts and road crossings and other barriers to wild steelhead migration.
Washington Gov. Inslee Steps Up for Steelhead
Last week, Washington Governor Jay Inslee signed the state’s 2022 supplementary budget into law, which included almost $15 million for a voluntary buyback program in the Columbia River for non-tribal commercial gillnet licenses.
Volunteer opportunity: Hood Canal Steelhead
Starting this month and running through May, the Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group (HCSEG) is seeking volunteers to help with their monitoring of juvenile steelhead smolt traps.
The 2022 Washington state legislative wrap-up: What’s in it for steelhead?
March 10 marked the end of the 2022 Washington State Legislative Session. For a short session, it was a remarkably busy non-budget year in which several important issues on steelhead were decided.