Over the last 100 years, the population of natural salmon and steelhead in the Lower Columbia River has plummeted. Well, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has finally said, “No more!”
A few weeks ago, the ODFW released a plan for the conservation and recovery of these threatened species. Appropriately titled “The Lower Columbia River Conservation and Recovery Plan for Oregon Populations of Salmon and Steelhead,” this plan will identify the current population status of the fish, assess limiting factors and threats, develop adaptive changes, and monitor the effects. The plan’s main goal is to restore the salmon and steelhead populations to levels that don’t require protection under the federal Endangered Species Act.
