Salmon and Steelhead Habitat Inventory and Assessment
Project Information
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In the early 1990s state and tribal fisheries biologists created a Wild Stock Restoration Initiative in response to wild salmon and steelhead stock concerns and in anticipation of expected Endangered Species Act petitions for the weakest stocks. The first step in this comprehensive process was an assessment of each of the 435 individual salmon and steelhead stocks in the state. This document, the Salmon and Steelhead Stock Inventory (SASSI) gave fisheries managers a prioritized list of the stocks in greatest need of protection and restoration. SASSI identified 187 stocks as healthy; 122 as depressed, 12 critical; 113 unknown; and one extinct. During this process, it became apparent to fisheries managers that a second assessment was needed to catalogue habitat conditions and concerns throughout the state. The Salmon and Steelhead Habitat Inventory and Assessment Project (SSHIAP) is an ongoing process that gives natural resources managers a current view of habitat conditions as well as prescriptions for improving fish habitat. The Point No Point Treaty Council’s SSHIAP biologist works with biologists from other tribes and natural resources entities to both collect and share important data. The various products that will come out of SSHIAP work will include: – Expanded habitat sections describing the location,
amount and current condition of habitats used at various life stages in
the life of salmon and steelhead, as well as the historic habitat loss and
the natural and man-made factors contributing to habitat loss and
degradation in specific watersheds; SSHIAP is a living document that will continue to evolve and grow to meet the needs of salmon restoration in this state. For more information on SSHIAP visit the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission Website: |