Contact: Ellary TuckerWilliams, Inter-Mountain Western States Coordinator
On July 31, the Governor’s Salmon Workgroup will be hosting an informational meeting. The meeting is open to the public with opportunity for participants to submit comments from 8:30am – 4:30pm at the Idaho Fish and Game Headquarters in Salmon.
People are encouraged to attend and partake in the beginning stages of future policy decisions related to salmon and steelhead species recovery. If individuals are unable to attend, they can call in to the meeting and listen to the discussions.
Governor Brad Little tasked the Office of Species Conservation with the creation of a workgroup, focused on addressing salmon and steelhead issues in Idaho. The purpose of the Governor’s Salmon Workgroup is “to bring together a diverse set of stakeholders to collaboratively develop a unified policy recommendation for Governor Little to assist him as he shapes Idaho’s policy on salmon and steelhead recovery.”
The Workgroup consists of 21 representatives from different stakeholder groups, each invested in the issue of salmon and steelhead recovery and conservation. Members include representatives from the industry, local and state leaders, sportsmen, and conservation organizations. Idaho’s salmon runs are listed as either endangered or threatened, despite having $16 billion invested into the species recovery, Gov. Little is looking for policy recommendations to identify a path forward in the fight to conserve the species. At the heart of the issue is the conflict between the ecological needs of salmon and steelhead species and human-caused changes to river systems that support anadromous fish populations in the Northwest.
The upcoming Salmon Workgroup meeting will host experts in different aspects of salmon habitat improvements, enhancements and funding, followed by opportunity for public comment and discussion.
Additional meetings are scheduled throughout the state to provide opportunities for individuals to share their perspectives on salmon policy.
Listeners are encouraged to submit written comment to Scott Pugrud, Administrator for the Governor’s Office of Species Conservation. Submitted comments will be added to the corresponding Salmon Workgroup report and distributed.
Studies conducted at both the state and federal level have found that the number of hunters and trappers have been on a generally declining trend over the past several decades. To increase recruitment, retention, and reactivation (R3) of hunters and trappers, which initiative do you think would have the greatest impact?
