In 2001, the Washington State legislature authorized regional salmon recovery planning as a means of involving local citizens and policy makers in the recovery of at-risk ESA listed salmonid species. This is an opportunity for local stakeholders to work with state and federal agencies to plan for delisting of threatened and endangered salmonid species.

A regional salmon recovery plan is a comprehensive document that defines the actions necessary to recover one or more salmonid populations within a particular area or region. Through the Upper Columbia Salmon Recovery Board, Okanogan County is working with Chelan and Douglas counties, the Colville Confederated Tribes, and the Yakama Nation to develop a recovery plan for populations of three species: Spring Chinook, Steelhead, and Bull Trout.  The completed Upper Columbia plan will apply to the Moses Coulee, Wenatchee, Entiat, Methow, Okanogan, and Foster Creek subbasins.

Regional salmon recovery planning was initiated in response to listing of fish species under the federal Endangered Species Act. Although we are seeing increased numbers of salmon and steelhead returning to rivers and streams in the Upper Columbia region including Okanogan County, the numbers still are not as high as they need to be for the species to be delisted. Regional salmon recovery planning is a response to a federal mandate. Local participation allows Okanogan County and local stakeholders to have a voice in how recovery is approached in our County.