Key Takeaways
Fish passage barriers are being removed and restoration projects are improving river habitat.
Bull trout and westslope cutthroat trout recovery has been underway since 1999.
Success is due to collaboration among state, federal, and local governments; citizens; and the Kalispel Tribe of Indians.
View Key Recovery Indicators
About the Region
As lead entity, the Kalispel Tribe of Indians Natural Resources Department’s fundamental challenge is to provide tribal members with an opportunity to engage in the same cultural practices as their ancestors, which includes fishing for wild salmon species. The tribe’s aboriginal territory consisted of more than 2 million acres, while the Tribe’s reservation covers fewer than 5,000 acres.
The Pend Oreille Salmonid Recovery Team is leading the efforts to recover bull trout, a culturally significant species listed in 1999 as threatened with extinction under the federal Endangered Species Act. While no recovery goals have been set for bull trout in this region, restoration activities have prevented listings of other species such as westslope cutthroat trout.