Governor Locke presents the State’s First Regional Salmon Recovery Plan at the Clark County Hearing Room in Vancouver.
On December 15, 2004, Governor Locke arrived in Vancouver to sign and approve a plan to revitalize the endangered salmon population in the Columbia River Basin. This plan was presented to the federal government as the first locally developed regional salmon recovery plan for the State of Washington. This Salmon Recovery Plan was the product of collaboration among local, state, and tribal governments, community leaders and non-profit groups. The Clark County Hearing Room was packed with environmental supporters, government officials, and partners from various agencies and organizations who developed the plan over the past five years. The plan cost $2.5 million, and it proposes 600 action steps throughout the extensive Lower Columbia River Basin, from the gorge to the Washington Coast, covering 5700 square miles of watershed basins.
The federal government listed local salmon as near extinction under the Endangered Species Act, and the plan strives to recover steelhead, chum, chinook and coho salmon on the Lower Columbia River Basin. Salmon have nearly disappeared from almost three-fourths of our state. Through the development of conservation and restoration programs, Governor Locke has worked to rebuild the dwindling salmon population. Hundreds of water quality cleanup plans and salmon habitat restoration projects have been implemented to bolster the salmon protection efforts. The Salmon Recovery Plan aims to restore five species of northwest salmon (among other species) to healthy, harvestable levels over the next 25 years. The plan covers the lower Columbia River Basin, including Clark, Cowlitz, Lewis, Skamania, Wahkiakum, and parts of Pacific and Klickitat counties in Southwest Washington. The plan was signed by Governor Locke and representatives of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the Lower Columbia Fish Recovery Board, and was submitted to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Fisheries Service and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service for inclusion in federal salmon recovery plans.
John Barnett of the Cowlitz Indian Tribe
John Barnett, Chairman of the Cowlitz Indian Tribe, was one of the featured guest speakers during this event. Barnett served on the Fish Recovery Board and was a member of the Plan’s steering committee. Barnett commended Governor Locke for his support of this plan and for his conservation efforts. Barnett explained that salmon are exceptionally important to the Native Americans of the Pacific Northwest, for they provide a cultural identity to the Native Ameriacn way of life. He conveyed his amazement that the “Creator” has provided salmon with an uncanny sense of migration. Salmon hatch among river rocks in freshwater, migrate to the salty ocean where they live for three or four years, then they return to “bump their nose on the same rock where they were born.” Barnett warned that it is up to the entire community to make sure that the plan is enacted, and that it does not sit idly on shelf “collecting dust.”
Clifford Casasseka of the Yakama Nation
Clifford Casasseka, a stately gentleman representing the Yakama Nation, also addressed the assembly. Casasseka explained that the salmon “do not understand human laws…and humans do not understand fish laws.” He offered the hope that through the implementation of this Salmon Recovery Plan, that the community would realize the goals of the plan are very workable, and that the salmon could be saved as long as the plan was actively pursued. Casasseka showed support of Barnett’s comments by saying “Ditto, ditto, ditto,” and offered the heartfelt sentiment that plans are merely paper, and that the survival of the salmon depends upon community’s determination to support and engage the steps outlined in the recovery plan. Casasseka congratulated Governor Locke and the two shook hands with mutual respect.
Scientific assessment for the Clark County area indicates that salmon-bearing waters are “low-flow,” where waters are rapidly declining due to increased water use. The salmon recovery plan outlines specific actions that should be employed in order to address low-flow status waters: instream flow rules, closures, water aquisitions and leases, and improved irrigation. The salmon habitats in Clark County are listed as being in Poor Condition based on analyses of instream conditions, sedimentation, riparian areas and floodplains.
The Salmon Recovery Plan outlines specific actions that need to taken by Clark County and City of Vancouver governments in order to improve salmon recovery efforts. Our community is included in the Salmon Creek Basin, including Lake River and Burnt Bridge Creek. According to the Plan, the County and City both need to expand their Comprehensive Plans to protect sensitive ecological areas, including streams, wetlands and floodplains. Urbanization, development, and increased transportation have adversely impacted stream corridors. Both the City and the County need to take the the following action steps in order to achieve salmon recovery:
- Protect hillslopes from degradation caused by increased runoff and sedimentation from development and roadbuilding. The Comprehensive Plans need to limit further hillslope degradation and habitat impairment.
- Expand stormwater management programs and adopt new stormwater management practices.
- Expand management of future growth and development in order to protect watersheds using Best Management Practices.
- Expand efforts to ensure compliance with the Endangered Species Act, including improved operations of parks, roads and weed control.
- Restore degraded water quality, including contamination caused by leaking septic tanks within the basin.
- Address decreasing stream flows during critical salmon migration periods by enforcing and/or closing water rights and implementing water conservation efforts.
- Remove blockages in streams or habitats caused by culverts, dams or other barriers that prevent fish passage.
- Parks and recreation programs should expand limitations for recreational use of waters during critical salmon migration periods to avoid harassment of the affected species.
- Establish watershed planning groups that recommend instream flow guidelines through a collaborative process.
- Protect the structure of stream corridords by protecting floodplains, riparian functions, water quality and stream flow.
These noted action steps are entirely in keeping with the various goals adopted by the RNA and its working partners to improve local water quality. These working goals were developed through a collaborative process that sprang out of the RNA’s research into water quality contamination in our area, the focus being on leaking septic tanks throughout the Burnt Bridge Creek Basin. Governor Locke endorsed the RNA’s efforts to address the contamination of the Burnt Bridge Creek area. The Governor wrote: “The Burnt Bridge Creek Basin includes some of the most polluted properties in the Vancouver area. Identification of the sources of contamination, and planning for their cleanup, will involve all interested parties and stakeholders. I commend the Rosemere Neighborhood Association’s proactive efforts to address this matter.”
The partners for this Salmon Recovery Plan include the following entities:
Chinook Tribe, Cowlitz Tribe, Yakama Nation, Clark County, Cowlitz County, Lewis County, Skamania County, Wahkiakum County, Lower Columbia Cities, Lower Columbia Conservation Districts, Hydro-Electric Operators, Lower Columbia Fish Enhancement Group, Lower Columbia River Estuary Partnership, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, US Army Corps of Engineers, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Northwest Power and Conservation Council, US Forest Servuce, Washington State Legislature, Governor’s Salmon Recovery Office, Salmon Recovery Funding Board, Washington Conservation Commission, Washington Department of Agriculture, Washington Department of Community/Trade and Economic Development, Washington Department of Ecology, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Washington Interagency Committee for Outdoor Recreation, Washington Department of Natural Resources, Washington Department of Transportation, and many concerned community leaders and citizens who volunteered their time to contrubute to the development and review of the plan.
