Office of Governor Gary Locke
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - September 25, 1998
Contact:  Governor's Communications Office, 360-902-4136

Joint Cabinet shares progress report on statewide salmon recovery strategy

OLYMPIA - The Joint Natural Resources Cabinet has produced its first working draft of a statewide salmon recovery strategy, "Extinction is Not an Option." The working draft represents a dynamic, evolving document that the Joint Natural Resources Cabinet will continue to build upon and improve. It is inviting review and feedback.

"This draft truly is a work in progress. It is far from being complete or final, but it does represent our effort to initiate a collaborative process," said Curt Smitch, special assistant to Gov. Gary Locke. The governor appointed Smitch last year as his salmon advisor.

"These are our collective thoughts to date. As we continue building this strategy, we will improve upon it. We want feedback - What are the most important elements of a statewide strategy? What have we missed? With limited state financial resources, what are the highest priority area for funding?" Smitch said.

The working draft strategy is being shared in sessions with tribes, counties, cities, ports, business leaders, environmental groups, and others. The draft strategy will be posted Oct. 2 on the Internet on the Governor's Salmon Recovery Office website at www.governor.wa.gov/esa. The Joint Cabinet plans initial evaluation of feedback mid-October.

"A recovery strategy is needed with or without Endangered Species Act listings. Our goal is to restore wild salmon to healthy, harvestable populations and improve their habitat," said Smitch. "We want to reach our recovery goal with input from business, environmental groups, tribes and local governments."

The Joint Natural Resources Cabinet is developing the State Salmon Recovery Strategy around these fundamental principles:

* The state should promote a voluntary, cooperative approach to salmon recovery. This collaborative approach needs to be coupled with enhanced enforcement of existing environmental laws and regulations.

* Where resource risks are severe, early and immediate actions will be taken.

* Performance measures will be established to monitor progress.

* Where performance measures are not being met after a reasonable period of time, the state will be prepared to take default actions.

The Joint Cabinet produced a strategy framework document last January. The current working draft builds upon that and is organized by the "four H's" related to salmon recovery - harvest, hatcheries, habitat and hydropower. The core elements of the draft strategy are in varying stages of development.

Because salmon need plenty of clean, cold water, they are directly affected by how the state manages land and water. Habitat, or what fish need to live, has been primary focus of the Joint Cabinet.

The core elements of the habitat section include:

* Changes in agricultural practices to improve fish habitat
* Forests and fish: Timber, Fish and Wildlife (TFW)
* Linking land use decisions and salmon recovery
* Managing urban stormwater to protect streams
* Clean water for fish; integrating key tools
* Fish passage barriers: providing access to habitat

Two other "H's" - harvest and hatcheries - are addressed through fish management by the Department of Fish and Wildlife and tribes. The fourth "H" is hydropower, which partially is under the jurisdiction of the Northwest Power Planning Council.

The draft salmon recovery strategy will be further developed through this year. It will guide the development of more specific regional recovery plans. The National Marine Fisheries Service is expecting a detailed salmon recovery strategy next summer.

The Joint Natural Resources Cabinet includes 10 state agency directors, Public Lands Commissioner Jennifer Belcher and Washington state representation from the Northwest Power Planning Council.

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