Oregon Senators Wyden and Merkley Introduce Bill to Designate Over 4,700 River Miles as Wild and Scenic

February 3, 2021

Oregon Senators Wyden and Merkley Introduce Bill to Designate Over 4,700 River Miles as Wild and Scenic

Today, Senator Wyden (D-OR) introduced the River Democracy Act, an amendment to the The National Wild and Scenic Rivers System Act to include an additional 4,700 river miles throughout Oregon. Congress originally passed the Act in 1968 to provide an additional level of protection for free-flowing rivers with remarkable scenic, recreational, geologic, fish and wildlife, or historic values.

March 24, 2021

Sandy River Chapter Nominates Still Creek for Wild & Scenic Status in Draft Bill

Last year, over 2,500 Oregonians submitted river and stream nominations for inclusion in Senators Wyden and Merkeley’s River Democracy Act, which is intended to add about 4,700 river miles to the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. Co-President of the Sandy River Chapter Greg Reed and Board Member Norm Ritchie advocated for the inclusion of Still Creek, a tributary of the Zig Zag River in the Sandy River Basin, and succeeded in adding it to the list of streams in the bill.

April 23, 2021

A Lot is at Stake for Oregon’s Forests and Rivers Over the Next 70 Years

The Oregon Department of Forestry is drafting a Habitat Conservation Plan that will manage 85% of state-owned forests. This plan will guide forest practices over the next 70 years, mainly in Tillamook and Clatsop counties.

May 1, 2021

Oregon Congressman Blumenauer’s Support for Simpson’s Salmon Concept Builds Momentum to Move Jobs, Energy, and Infrastructure Package Forward

Representative Blumenauer (D-Ore.) joined Representative Simpson (R-Idaho) in calling for strategic investments to ensure the Pacific Northwest’s salmon and steelhead avoid extinction, revitalize rural economies and communities, and modernize regional energy and transportation infrastructure.

May 17, 2021

Fish Carcasses Sustain Hatcheries and Habitat

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) produces 57 million hatchery fish each year. Currently, surplus fish are prioritized for enriching nutrient concentrations on the spawning grounds, sustaining tribal ceremonial purposes, and supporting egg and carcass businesses. However, the Oregon legislature is currently considering a bill (HB 3191A) that would re-prioritize what ODFW does with returning hatchery fish. This bill would require at least 50% of all returning hatchery fish to be returned to spawning grounds.

May 21, 2021

Murray and Inslee Commit to Urgent Salmon Solutions, Offer No Clear Path or Timeline Amid Extinction Crisis

Reps. Simpson and Blumenauer, and many Tribes across the Basin, are having conversations about how best to restore endangered salmon and invest in modernizing our energy and transportation infrastructure. Now, with Sen. Murray and Gov. Inslee’s commitments to find an urgent solution, we need them to engage in this public conversation and finesse the details of a legislative funding package on an aggressive timeline as so many salmon runs swim into an extinction vortex.

May 28, 2021

Trout group posing for a photo. Photo by Kristina Peterson.

Hooked on Family Fishing: Breaking Through Environmental Barriers

It is lightly drizzling and I pull into the parking lot at Glenn Otto Park in Troutdale, Oregon on Saturday, April 24th, 2021. The inaugural Hooked on Family Fishing Day hosted by the Association of Northwest Steelheaders (ANWS) has finally arrived, something that I had been planning for over 4 months. Banners are hung, 50 rainbow trout are happily swimming in their portable pond, and our 12 volunteers are anxiously waiting at their activity stations.

June 14, 2021

This Summer Could Shape the Future of Pacific Northwest Salmon

The spring summer Chinook adult salmon returns weren’t enough to support a fishing season on the Clearwater River in Idaho. Now, as we head into summer, over 70% of the state is in severe or extreme drought, and lack of snowpack has many of our streams flowing with only 25% of the water they usually have this time of year. The summer isn't looking good for salmon.