FEATURED ACTION: 
Mission & History of the WSC
Photos on this page by Jeff Bright and Luke Kelly
The Wild Steelhead Coalition was founded in 2000 with the mission of increasing the return of wild steelhead to the rivers and streams of the Pacific Northwest.
A Brief History of the WSC
In November, 2000, a group of anglers meet at Ted’s Sporting Goods, in Lynnwood, WA, to discuss the announced catch and release season closure of North Puget Sound streams by WDFW because of forecasted low escapement numbers. The group wanted to understand how we got to this situation and it is determined to form an organization for wild steelhead conservation.
In January, 2001, the first formal meeting by an organizing group called the “Wild Steelhead Coalition” met at American Legion Hall in Bothell, WA, with featured speaker, Curt Kramer (WDFW District 4 Head Biologist) to hear and discuss the reasons and justification for the closure.
By March of 2001 an Interim Board had been established and work began to develop a new organization, including planning strategy for a wild steelhead release, no exceptions regulation, filing paper work with the state and developing bylaws. In April of that year, the Wild Steelhead Coalition was registered as a non‐profit 501c3 and work began on the WSC’s first white paper titled “The Biological and Economic Benefits or Wild Steelhead Release.”
Read a complete history of the WSC: WSC History 2000-2012
