- Curt Smitch, Gov. Locke's salmon advisor

Meanwhile, we recognize the vital role of salmon in Washington's economy. Fishing provides jobs, supports businesses, and offers quality recreational experiences for a significant number of families from Washington, around the country, and the world. For example, the U.S. Department of Commerce estimates that in 1996 sport fishing contributed more than $704 million to Washington's economy. The decline of salmon is affecting all of us.

Yet, there is no consistent, dependable source of funding for salmon recovery in federal, state or local budgets. Salmon recovery must compete in every budget cycle with schools, health care, higher education, and other important priorities. In fact, only 1.4 percent of state government's general fund is devoted to all natural resources spending, and salmon is only a small portion of this already tiny investment.

No one believes that government alone can save wild salmon. This is an issue that requires a response from everyone, because all of us affect salmon in one way or another. Moreover, government simply cannot afford to pay for the myriad habitat restoration projects that must be completed to restore many streams to a healthy condition. An enormous corps of volunteers will be needed to accomplish this work. And they will need technical and financial assistance to participate in meaningful ways.

Perhaps the most important tool is actually an idea-the idea of adaptive management.

Adaptive management recognizes that we are often ignorant. Adaptive management says, in effect, that we will use the best, most up-to-date scientific knowledge we have, but we will also recognize that we are always learning more-and that we will never know everything we need to know. Therefore, we need to continuously adapt what we are doing, based on the new information that the advances of science reveal to us.

This represents an attitude change-a change from over-confidence in our scientific and technological prowess to much greater humility about how little we really know, and how infinitely complex, subtle, and interactive the natural world is. Adaptive management recognizes that many of the decisions we make today will need to be revisited as we learn more about what works and what doesn't-and it incorporates this recognition in the plans, agreements, and partnerships we create today.

Adaptive management is a fundamental principle in our state salmon strategy. We recognize that careful monitoring and information gathering is essential as we strive to recover wild salmon and to improve the condition of the habitat on which they rely. Incorporating the principle of adaptive management in all salmon recovery efforts has stimulated greater efforts to gather, share and use data about salmon much more efficiently and purposefully.

One of the fundamental tenets of the state's strategy to recover salmon is that "science is our guide." The state is committed to making decisions using information based on what scientists have determined is necessary for fish to thrive. There are many scientists within state government, including biologists, hydrologists, geologists, geneticists, and ecologists. This body of scientific expertise is vital to our salmon restoration efforts.

Salmon recovery is also guided by independent scientists. In May 1999, Governor Locke appointed a five-member Independent Science Panel to review and comment on the state's salmon recovery efforts. These scientists do not have the power to make policy, but they play a powerful role as objective, independent experts whose judgment about the quality and feasibility of recovery efforts can help the Governor and the legislature make sound policy decisions.

In May 2000, the Independent Science Panel completed an initial review of the Statewide Strategy to Recover Salmon. The Panel judged the state strategy "a disjointed collection of partial measures that may or may not reduce adverse impacts" on salmon. But it also said, "We consider the development of the Strategy an extremely worthwhile and necessary first step toward formulating a comprehensive and cohesive strategic plan focused on salmonid recovery in Washington State. We believe it does a good job of outlining the major elements (with the exception of estuarine environments) that need to be addressed in such a plan, and also serves to identify major problem areas that will require special attention."

This initial report was, to say the least, a clear demonstration of the panel's independent spirit. But everyone involved in salmon recovery recognizes that no matter how uncomfortable this kind of advice may be, it is vital to policy-makers and citizens alike.

The Independent Science Panel has also issued a preliminary review of the state's salmon recovery monitoring program, and will issue an update of this review in December 2000.

Citizen Education and Engagement

• The Washington Conservation Corps trained and coordinated volunteers who provided 16,500 hours of work between July 1999 and March 2000.
  
  
• The Department of Fish and Wildlife and Conservation Commission have funded fourteen Regional Fisheries Enhancement Groups. These groups last year completed 76 habitat restoration projects, and 3,488 volunteers donated 66,000 hours of their time. The state has also awarded grant funds to non-profit organizations such as People for Salmon that mobilize volunteers for habitat restoration projects.

• The state has provided funding for Public Involvement and Education contracts in 12 counties. PIE fund contracts are awarded every two years to communities, businesses, non-profit groups, tribes and local governments. The legislature provides the money through the Puget Sound Water Quality Action Team from the Washington State Water Quality Account. Since 1987, more than $5 million has funded over 280 projects. Up to $500,000 was available for this current round of projects which began this spring and continue into spring 2001.
  
  
• Many of these projects are very small in cost but large in long-term impact; for instance, two dozen students who make up the Seabeck Alki Salmon Team received PIE funds this year to develop and present a traveling slide show and booklet to other children and community groups. They studied the salmon in Seabeck Creek, helped with restoration projects, and visited with many resource professionals.

• The Governor's Salmon Recovery Office joined the partnership of Tri-County restoration efforts in King, Pierce and Snohomish counties to create a Salmon Information Television Network that produces educational television shows on salmon recovery. These monthly shows on 26 Western Washington stations are also available for use by local community groups and schools.

Fresh water is far more scarce than many of us realize. Only one quarter of one percent of the Earth's water supply is available as drinking water at any given time. About 97 percent of the Earth's water is in our oceans and 2 percent is frozen.

Here in Washington we double our water consumption in the summer-the same time no new rainfall is entering our reservoirs and water tables. This is also a critical time when fish need water.

Over $13 million was provided by the legislature and Salmon Recovery Funding Board to the Department of Natural Resources to implement the Forests and Fish Agreement.

Each year, state natural resource agencies report how money is being spent, and what results are being achieved. More than ever before, state natural resource agencies are keeping careful account of what works, what doesn't, and what it costs. The rigorous implementation of adaptive management and the Salmon Recovery Scorecard are ensuring that with each passing year, there will be continuing improvement in the efficiency and effectiveness of our investments in salmon recovery.