In this eNewsletter you will find:

• ACT NOW Support Expanded Pacific Coast Salmon Recovery Funding for California
  Support Letter must be postmarked by Monday, June 4
• Salmon River Dives & Spring-run Chinook Symposium July 24-28
• Coho Confab August 17-19 in the Mattole
• Forestry Planner Job Announcement with the MRC
• Call for 25th Annual SRF Conference Photos

ACT NOW!
Support Expanded Pacific Coast Salmon Recovery Funding for California
Support Letter must be postmarked by Monday, June 4

Abstract: Please write a letter of support to increase the share of fisheries restoration funding available to the DFG Fisheries Restoration Grants Program via NOAA's Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund. There is $66 million available for the western states (AK, WA, OR, ID, CA) that will be distributed to the states on a competitive basis. California has submitted a proposal application for $25.5 million. Last year CA only received $6.4 million and due to this level of funding many good projects did not receive funding.

If we want to increase our chances at securing additional funds thus allowing for more individual projects to be funded. We need your support for California's Application!

Letters from you (organizations, elected officials and individuals) are critical to show support for obtaining additional funding. Letters need to be postmarked by Monday June 4, 2007.

Please see the sample letter of support below and personalize it as much as possible.

Act Now! Send your letter and fax a copy to DFG (the number is on the draft).

RE: Support for expanded Pacific Coast Salmon Recovery Funding for California

I am writing to express my support of the application for Pacific Coast Salmon Recovery Funding (PCSRF) for the California Department of Fish and Game (DFG). Population levels of Chinook salmon, coho salmon, and steelhead in several of California’s coastal watersheds have experienced dramatic declines in abundance and/or distribution and are now covered under listings by either or both the California Endangered Species Act (CESA) and the Federal Endangered Species Act (ESA). The decline in salmon and steelhead populations has been largely attributed to stream habitat degradation and impacts to the watersheds caused by natural events and human disturbance. The restoration of these habitats and subsequent recovery of these listed species is critical to the socioeconomic interests of our state and the intrinsic value of these species.

A massive restoration effort is needed on the coastal watersheds and streams of California. Restoring and maintaining high quality fisheries habitat is vital in conserving and protecting salmonid populations. Before the coastal watersheds of California were damaged, quality fish habitat provided large and healthier populations of Chinook and coho salmon and steelhead trout, of tremendous economic value to the State.

Since 1981, the DFG Fisheries Restoration Grants Program (FRGP) has engaged in a collaborative effort with NOAA Fisheries and more than 600 stakeholders to restore declining salmon and anadromous trout habitat. Over the last 25 years, the Department has invested over $180 million and supported approximately 2,700 salmonid restoration projects. Projects that address limiting factors associated with the decline in anadromous fish populations are given top priority for FRGP funding.

The Department relies on several guiding documents for restoring coastal anadromous fish. These documents include the Coho Recovery Strategy, the Steelhead Restoration and Management Plan, and the Coastal Salmonid Restoration Manual. Since 2000, the PCSRF has contributed approximately $87 million to this effort. Of the $66 million PCSRF funding available last year, California received less than 10%. California’s commitment to enhancing coastal salmonid populations was evident in FY 2006-2007 by providing approximately $16 million toward coastal salmonid restoration.

Considering the extent and range of anadromous salmonids in coastal California, and the number of population units listed under the CESA and/or ESA, we encourage the National Marine Fisheries Service to increase California’s PCSRF funding for FY 2007-2008.

The magnitude of the socioeconomic effects of quality restoration projects in California is unsurpassed, and I strongly urge the Service to support the California Department of Fish and Game application for PCSRF funding.

Sincerely,

CC: Barry Thom
NOAA NMFS
1201 NE Lloyd Blvd, suite 1100
Portland, OR 97232

Neil Manji
Fisheries Branch Chief
Department of Fish and Game
830 S Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
fax (916) 327-8854

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Salmon River Dives and Spring-run Chinook Symposium
Nordheimer Campground, Salmon River, July 24-27

The Salmonid Restoration Federation is proud to join with the Salmon River Restoration Council and the Mid-Klamath Watershed Council in offering the 2nd Annual Spring-run Chinook Symposium in concert with the Salmon River Spring Chinook and Summer Steelhead Dives. This year’s event will take place July 24-27 on the beautiful (Cal) Salmon River. SRF is pleased to offer this opportunity for local landowners, restorationists, fisheries biologists and agency staff to participate in the Salmon River Dives and the Chinook Symposium including workshops, field tours and presentations on problems and solutions specific to Spring-run Chinook.

This year the Spring-run Chinook Symposium begins with the annual Salmon River Spring Chinook and Summer Steelhead Dives. There will be a dive safety training on Tuesday, July 24th, that is required for inexperienced divers. The dives themselves take place on Wednesday, July 25th. A locally organized event, the dives bring together a coalition of agency personnel, tribal members, and concerned citizens who form small teams to dive the entire Salmon River within a couple days, in order to get a good estimate of the salmonids holding in the Salmon River. The Salmon River Surveys are a focal point in the effort to protect and restore Klamath Spring Chinook, bringing together communities, tribes, academia and agencies in a cooperative approach to recovery.

The Spring-run Chinook Symposium offers restoration practitioners training and networking opportunities on issues affecting California’s threatened Spring-run Chinook populations. Thursday hold three exciting field tours field tours from which to choose. The Karuk Tribe will host a Traditional Management Practices and Current Restoration Techniques tour, including road decommissioning, riparian restoration and forestry management for fire fuels reduction. Toz Soto, Leroy Cyr and Will Harling will lead a Mid-Klamath Mainstem Thermal Refugia Float, with a discussion of refugia use and importance, creek mouth enhancement to that end and salmonid identification. Petey Brucker and Nat Pennington of the Salmon River Restoration Council will discuss the Salmon River Spring Chinook, including a snorkel tour, and a community approach to restoration. Thursday evening there will be a discussion on FERC relicensing and the Klamath Dam removal efforts.

Friday will begin with an opening presentation by “Overview of Spring Chinook Salmon in California” by Dr. Peter Moyle, author of Inland Fishes of California. Petey Brucker from the Salmon River Restoration Council will discuss Spring Chinook on the Salmon River and the Klamath Salmon Spring Chinook Voluntary Recovery Program. Concurrent sessions will include “All about Spring Chinook” focussing Chinook Stock Identification, life history investigations, and limiting factors, Fish Disease, and Spring Chinook of the Trinity River.
Another presentation will follow entitled, “Spring Chinook Reintroduction in the Klamath River Basin and the Importance of Having a Metapopulation” with Mike Belchik, Dave Hillemeier, and George Kautsky.

The symposium will conclude with a panel discussion about Klamath Basin Spring
Chinook Conservation Management with Moderator Will Harling and presenters from the symposium. The overarching question that participants and presenters will discuss is What do you think we need to do to create a conservation strategy and management objectives for Spring Chinook in the Klamath River Basin?

The Jammin for the Salmon music festival will commence that evening at Forks of Salmon.

So come for the Dives and the Symposium and stay Saturday, July 28th for the Jammin’ on the Salmon benefit concert. For more information about this exciting event please check out the Salmonid Restoration website at www.calsalmon.org or call (707) 923-7501.