Surface Water Management Division
Snohomish River Basin Salmon Recovery Forum
The Forum and Mission
Founded in 1998, the Forum is a 41-member voluntary group of citizens, businesses, tribal representatives, farmers and elected officials, who guide conservation efforts in the Snohomish River Basin. The Forum’s mission is:
To protect and restore the ecological health of the Snohomish River Basin including biodiversity, hydrology and water quality to enhance the productivity and diversity of all wild salmon stocks to a level that will sustain fisheries and non-consumptive salmon-related cultural and ecological values.
Roles and Activities of the Forum
Roles
The Snohomish basin Salmon Recovery Forum was formed in 1998, building on the success of the Snohomish Basin Work Group. Its initial focus was on salmon recovery planning. With the completion of the Snohomish Basin Salmon Conservation Plan (Conservation Plan), the roles of the Forum are now to:
- Promote implementation of the Conservation Plan by participation agencies, organizations, and interests.
- Monitor implementation and adaptively manage the Conservation Plan over time.
- Advocate for continued funding and identify new sources of funding to implement the Conservation Plan.
- Provide a forum for local governments and organizations to coordinate and communicate about watershed issues. This includes discussing differing viewpoints and identifying common ground about watershed topics, as well as providing policy guidance and basin-level context and strategies.
- Respond to Endangered Species Act listings at the local level.
- Actively engage with the Puget Sound Partnership to implement the 2020 Action Agenda for Puget Sound.
Activities:
In fulfilling these roles, the Forum's current activities include:
- Working with regional partners, including the Puget Sound Partnership, to integrate local interests with broader regional salmon recovery activities. This includes outreach to and improving coordination with a wide range of interests and land users.
- Tracking implementation of the Conservation Plan, tracking effectiveness of the actions, and adjusting the plan over time as new information becomes available.
- Leveraging resources to help implement the Conservation Plan. This includes advocating for funding from local, state, regional, and federal levels.
- Recommending allocation of project funding. This includes prioritizing projects for the Salmon Recovery Funding Board, Puget Sound Acquisition and Restoration funds and other funding sources.
- Supporting education that promotes stewardship. This includes providing information to the general public,l as well as providing technical assistance to landowners and to individuals who work directly on lands of concern.
- Updating the Snohomish Basin Salmon Conservation Plan as needed or required.
- Working and coordination with the Snoqualmie Watershed Forum.
Forum Business
Forum Committees
Two committees serve the Forum. The Policy Development Committee includes some Forum members and alternates as well as staff to Forum member agencies and organizations, who preview policy issues for the Forum and recommends actions to the Forum.
The Snohomish Basin Salmonid Recovery Technical Committee includes scientific staff from agencies and organizations represented on the Forum, as well as federal agencies such as NOAA Fisheries. The Technical Committee provides and coordinates the scientific foundation for actions taken by the Forum.
Contact
In Snohomish County:
In King County: