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SALMON 2100 PROJECT

Thirty salmon scientists and policy experts have joined forces in an innovative project to identify ways that, if adopted, likely would restore and sustain wild salmon runs in California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and southern British Columbia through 2100. The Salmon 2100 Project was organized jointly by Oregon State University's Center for Water and Environmental Sustainability and EPA’s research laboratory in Corvallis, Oregon.

The Project will synthesize and apply the best available scientific information to the challenge of protecting and restoring salmon runs. Specific, practical policy options will identified and described that, if adopted, would successfully sustain wild salmon. To identify those policy options, the Project has enlisted 30 leading Pacific Northwest scientists and policy experts, each of whom possesses recognized scientific and analytical credentials, a track record for innovative thinking about salmon and ecosystem recovery, and a
demonstrated ability to think beyond the status quo. Project participants are writing chapters for a book to be published by the American Fisheries Society.

Restoring wild salmon to the Pacific Northwest is a daunting challenge. Since discovery of gold in California in 1848, salmon runs have dramatically declined across the region due to water pollution; loss of spawning, rearing, and riparian habitat; a history of over-fishing; dam construction and operation; water withdrawal for irrigation and industrial cooling; competition with hatchery-produced salmon; competition with various nonindigenous fish species; predation by marine mammals and birds; and climatic and oceanic shifts. Many experts conclude that current salmon recovery efforts, as earnest, expensive, and socially disruptive as they currently are, do not appear likely to sustain significant wild salmon runs through 2100. Sustainability remains elusive, and it appears that other recovery strategies must be adopted if wild salmon are to survive in significant numbers through the century.

Project results will be disseminated to scientists, managers, policy makers, and others as part of several professional conferences: (1) Oregon Chapter Meeting, American Fisheries Society, Corvallis, Oregon, February 16-18, 2005; (2) Annual Meeting, American Fisheries Society, Anchorage, Alaska, September 11- 15, 2005; and (3) Annual Conference, American Water Resources Association, Seattle, Washington, November 5-11, 2005.

Project Leaders:

 

Project Participants:

(Views and opinions presented by individual authors are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of any organization. Current and past professional affiliations are provided solely for informational purposes.)

Kenneth I. Ashley University of British Columbia Vancouver, BC	Larry L. Bailey Rural Resource Associates Tonasket, WA	David A. Bella Oregon State University (retired) Corvallis, OR
Gustavo A. Bisbal US Fish and Wildlife Service Portland, OR	Michelle Boshard Rural Resource Associates Tonasket, WA	Ernest L. Brannon University of Idaho Moscow, ID
James L. Buchal Attorney Portland, OR	Russell A. Butkus University of Portland Portland, OR	Carl J. Cederholm Washington Department of Natural Resources Olympia, WA
Jeff Curtis Trout Unlimited Portland, OR	Jeffrey J. Dose US Forest Service Roseburg, OR	Terry Glavin Sierra Club Victoria, BC
Gordon F. Hartman Department of Fisheries and Oceans (retired) Nanaimo, BC	David T. Hoopes San Juan County Friday Harbor, WA	E. Eric Knudsen US Geologic Survey (retired) Sedro Wooley, WA
Steven A. Kolmes University of Portland Portland, OR	John Lombard Steward and Associates Snohomish, WA	Kaitlin L. Lovell Trout Unlimited Portland, OR
Donald D. MacDonald Sustainable Fisheries Foundation Nanaimo, BC	James T. Martin Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (retired) Molino, OR	John H. Michael, Jr. Fisheries Biologist Olympia, WA
Jay W. Nicholas Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board Salem, OR	Thomas G. Northcote University of British Columbia (retired) Vancouver, BC	Edwin P. Pister California Department of Fish and Game (retired) Bishop, CA
Guido R. Rahr Wild Salmon Center Portland, OR	William E. Rees University of British Columbia Vancouver, BC	Brent S. Steel Oregon State University Corvallis, OR
Benjamin B. Stout Rutgers University/University of Montana/ NCASI (retired) Albany, OR	Andre J. Talbot Columbia Inter-Tribal Fisheries Commission/ Environment Canada Montreal, QC	Jack E. Williams U.S. Forest Service/Southern Oregon University/ Trout Unlimited Ashland, OR

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