Recovery Plan

The Vision

There is no recovery plan for the Northeast region, but the Pend Oreille Salmonid Recovery Team initiated and developed the Strategy for Protection and Improvement of Native Salmonid Habitat in 2005. The strategy focuses on local salmon species habitat protection and improvement for the three focal fish species (bull trout, westslope cutthroat trout, pygmy whitefish), as well as public education and involvement in the process. The members of the Recovery Team use an inclusive approach that fosters public participation and strives to incorporate the diverse perspectives and opinions of the community.

Progress to date includes the following:

• Protected nearly 3,000 acres of salmon habitat
• Removed 67 barriers to fish migration, opening nearly 300 miles of habitat to native trout
• Restored or protected nearly 385 miles of streams

The following challenges remain:

• Loss of habitat connectivity, quality, quantity, and diversity
• Human-made barriers that block fish migration in the Pend Oreille River and its tributaries
• Rivers that are too warm and don’t have enough dissolved oxygen
• Invasion by non-native fish that outcompete native trout for food, or worse, eat them

Background: Salmon recovery in Washington is driven by regional salmon recovery plans. The recovery plans provide the actions and rationale for where to invest and when. Each region reports on the actions implemented related to what is recommended in the regional recovery plan. The information about recovery plan implementation is grounded in the regional organizations’ extensive knowledge of recovery issues and recovery progress.