Friday August 19, 2022
KING5 —
The Sauk-Suiattle Tribal Council declared a State of Emergency Thursday over the decline in the Chinook salmon population, despite conservation efforts.
Chinook salmon of the Skagit River and its tributaries, including the Sauk, Suiattle and other streams, were designated a threatened species in 1999 and the population has continued to decline since 2007, according to the Tribe’s resolution.
The population fell below thresholds that would trigger directed fishery, despite rehabilitation, habitat restoration and conservation efforts by Treaty tribes, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, federal agencies and the Skagit River System Cooperative.
The Tribe declared the native Chinook salmon of the Skagit River basin system to be in a State of Emergency. The Tribe is calling upon the state, federal and local governments, Treaty tribes and Tribal organizations to prioritize the preservation and recovery of the salmon population.