Lead Entity for Salmon Recovery

Columbia River between Douglas and Okanogan Counties (photo by Sharon Davis)

The 1998 and 1999 legislatures passed key pieces of legislation in regard to water and salmon. The legislation often referred to by the bill numbers, HB 2514 and HB 2496, set in motion significant planning efforts at the local level and encouraged the move of decision-making from Olympia to those most affected. In different regions of Washington, the State supported planning efforts for water (Watershed Planning Act (HB 2514)) and salmon recovery (Salmon Recovery Act (HB 2496)) are coming to conclusion now and over the next couple of years.

To ensure the citizen and local community based planning efforts have the greatest result, it is important to consider the governance structures and processes that will facilitate implementation of projects recommended in watershed and salmon recovery plans. A systemic and coordinated approach for project implementation at a watershed and regional level will ensure actions are efficient, effective and create a comprehensive result over time that supports both the needs of people and salmon as well as other wildlife.

The Foster Creek Conservation District is the Lead Entity for salmon recovery efforts in Water Resource Inventory Areas 44 (Moses Coulee) and 50 (Foster Creek).  Our duty is to facilitate salmon recovery project sponsors in their quest to fund their projects through the Salmon Recovery Funding Board.  Additionally as Lead Entity, Foster Creek CD maintains a Citizens Advisory Committee (CAG) that reviews and ranks the projects yearly prior to their submission to the SRFB.  This project list is the core component of the Habitat Work Schedule.

As part of the Upper Columbia Region, the Foster Creek Lead Entity coordinates with the Chelan County Lead Entity and Okanogan County/Colville Tribes Lead Entity.  This group supports the efforts of the Upper Columbia Salmon Recovery Board and their regional salmon, steelhead, and bull trout recovery plan.

Foster Creek is now part of the WDFW Habitat Work Schedule project utilizing the latest software to track pending, proposed, and completed salmon recovery projects.  Click here

For additional information please contact: