Smith River Salmon Stronghold
During the research for Rivers of a Lost Coast we spent an incredible amount of time in the archives of the California State Library. Few things were more valuable than the complete collection of “Forest and Stream Magazine” ("Forest and Stream” was the 1800s precursor to the modern “Field and Stream"). The pages of “Forest and Stream” were filled with countless enjoyable accounts of early western sporting, but one of the pieces that always stuck with us was an editorial written in the late 1890s by a Pacific Coast salmon fisherman. He was writing in response to the notable wildlife conservation success of Yellowstone National Park. The writer saw the need to set-aside key wildlife habitat to ensure the future health of wildlife populations. He used the success of Yellowstone to suggest a similar action be taken for our Pacific Salmon. Unfortunately, the novel idea never gained much steam.
Yet today, over a century later, it is great to see we are finally starting to protect the key watersheds that provide crucial habitat to the health and vitality of our salmon populations. In a great piece of news, the Smith River, California’s last great refuge for Chinook Salmon received an official “salmon stronghold” designation. This designation, which provides federal support and resources for collaborative, high-value conservation projects, is the first of its kind in California.
You can read more about this important announcement at the Smith River Alliance website.
