With the Columbia’s wild steelhead and salmon populations struggling and facing increasingly imminent threats, the last thing these declining salmonid stocks need is the expansion of destructive gillnet fisheries on the mainstem lower Columbia River. That's why the WSC sent a letter to the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission urging them to reject a misguided proposal to reinstate this destructive practice.
Read MoreIn an effort to protect endangered salmon and steelhead, federal agencies have recently granted permission for Washington, Oregon and Idaho wildlife management agencies and six regional tribes to kill hundreds of California and Stellar sea lions in the lower Columbia River and its tributaries over the next five years.
Read MoreLast week we scored a major victory for wild steelhead when Governor Inslee directed state agencies to cease planning efforts for the proposed Chehalis River dam and instead develop a basin-wide, non-dam alternative to flood reduction.
Read MoreWe are proud to announce that WSC board member Josh Mills was named the Backcountry Hunters and Anglers Sigurd F. Olson Award winner for his tireless work to protect American public waters for the future.
Read MoreRecently, we submitted comments to the Washington Department of Ecology citing a litany of concerns with Cooke Aquaculture's proposal to transition their existing Atlantic salmon net pens to farmed triploid rainbow trout (steelhead) and urging the Department to conduct a full State Environmental Policy Act review for Cooke’s proposal to modify their water quality permits.
Read MoreThe WSC submitted its official comments today on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the proposed Chehalis dam project. Please take a minute to read these comments and learn about the litany of shortcomings with the DEIS as well as our general concerns with this misguided proposal.
Read MoreThere’s no doubt about it: this Washington winter steelhead season was as challenging as any in memory. It followed historic low summer steelhead runs that constrained fisheries on the Columbia River system.
Read MoreAbove the water’s surface, Hood Canal, Washington resembles a sportsperson’s paradise. From camping on the beach to hiking to rugged alpine lakes, to chasing deer and elk in thick timber, to foraging clams and oysters when the tide is out, outdoor opportunities abound in this verdant country. However, when you venture beneath the water’s surface and wade into the gorgeous, raucous rivers that carve up this stunning corner of Washington, you begin to see that something iconic is missing.
Read MoreGreat news from Olympia today as the Washington legislature passes Senate Bill 6613, which boosts the state’s ability to monitor and regulate fish farms in public waters!
Read MoreThe Wild Steelhead Coalition (WSC) is frustrated by the new Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Columbia Basin Hydropower System, which is simply a reiteration of the five previous federal plans that have all been rejected by the courts as inadequate.
Read MorePlease take action today and tell the Washington State Legislature to pass SB 6613, which would enhance the ability of state agencies to effectively monitor and regulate net pen operations.
Read MoreWith the support of key partners in the fishing community, the WSC has secured a major victory for angler access and steelhead conservation by completing the purchase of an eight-acre parcel of land with 2,000 feet of riverfront on the lower Grande Ronde River in Eastern Washington, which will soon be donated to the Washington Department of Wildlife for permanent protection and continued public use.
Read MoreThis Thursday, the state Senate Agriculture, Water, Natural Resources & Parks Committee is holding a work session to discuss fish farming. We expect Cooke and their allies to testify, and we need senators on the committee to know the public is deeply concerned about these private polluters receiving new permits to operate in Puget Sound, so please take action today.
Read MoreThe Wild Steelhead Coalition is extremely disappointed that the Department of Fish and Wildlife has approved Cooke Aquaculture's application to farm "steelhead" in Washington's public waters and is calling on the state to block Cooke's latest misguided fish farm proposal.
Read MoreNear the end of September, the Idaho Fish and Game (IDFG) Commission voted to close the season on the Clearwater River and a portion of the Snake River within the state’s border. It is our hope that the closure this Fall is the final alarm call that wakes up the public, fishery managers and the angling community to the desperate situation steelhead, and salmon, face in the Columbia and Snake River systems.
Read MoreThe Wild Steelhead Coalition was honored to donate a brand new raft, oars, trail cameras, and spotting scopes to the WDFW Law Enforcement Program on the Olympic Peninsula to support their critical efforts to defend and protect our shared natural resources in that vast, wild landscape.
Read MoreCooke Aquaculture's proposed steelhead net pens could have major repercussions on Washington’s wild steelhead populations and must be more thoroughly reviewed before any approval is provided. The following is the Wild Steelhead Coalition's comments on the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Draft State Environmental Protection Act (SEPA) documents.
Read MoreDonate now to preserve and protect an important piece of new public land on the lower Grande Ronde River, one of the country’s great steelhead rivers.
Read MoreWild Steelhead Coalition expresses strong support for the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife's proposed rulemaking to eliminate harvest restrictions for bass, walleye, and channel catfish in all rivers, lakes, and streams that also support salmon smolts.
Read MoreWild steelhead on the Humptulips River regained important protections this year when Selective Gear Rules were reinstated for the month of March.
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