Pacific salmon and steelhead are much more than essential elements of a healthy Pacific Coast ecosystem. They are cultural icons woven into the fabric of local communities and economies. Salmon runs tie the region’s people to the landscape, but pressures from a changing environment and human activities have compromised the strength of these runs.
The Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund was established by Congress in 2000 to reverse the declines of Pacific salmon and steelhead, supporting conservation efforts in California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Alaska. The program is essential to preventing the extinction of the 28 listed salmon and steelhead species on the West Coast. In many cases, it has stabilized the populations and contributed to their recovery course.