Tuesday February 20, 2024
Washington Policy Center —
Last year, we argued that Washington’s approach to salmon recovery needed some significant changes to get back on track and reverse the frustratingly poor population trends of the past several years.
Several bills were offered this session that would make improvements in that direction.
There have been positive steps, but overall progress is fairly small. The legislature needs to prioritize spending on salmon recovery – there are many good projects that are worthwhile. It is critical, however, to target spending using science-based metrics and to focus on addressing other threats to salmon, such as predation by birds and sea lions, and chemicals like 6PPD.
Here is a quick update on salmon recovery legislation and proposed spending.