Administration Approves First Roadless Logging Contract In Alaska's Tongass National Forest

This week, the Obama administration approved the sale of timber in a roadless national forest in Alaska. 

According to the Wilderness Society:

American taxpayers have not only watched as the Tongass has been picked apart by road building and logging, they've paid for the privilege. The tab extends beyond $750 million over 20 years. In a single year alone, the Forest Service spent $36 million on the Tongass timber program and got back in revenues only $1 million.

LINK (Via: The Huffington Post)

Osprey Steelhead News

This is the blog of The Osprey: conservation journal of wild salmonids. We believe the first step towards conservation and recovery of our anadromous fish is an informed community of advocates. Through our publication The Osprey, our Website and this blog we hope to share relevant news regarding the management, science and politics surrounding steelhead and salmon in the Pacific Northwest.

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The Osprey newsletter is the Federation of Fly Fisher's acclaimed steelhead conservation newsletter.

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Russian River monitoring to bolster steelhead population

Photo: Mark Aronoff

Biologists are closely monitoring the water quality in the lagoon that forms at the mouth of the Russian River at Jenner, a critical but often overlooked habitat for young steelhead.

It’s there that the steelhead, which are listed as federal endangered species, may stay for a year to feed and become acclimated to salt water before venturing out into the ocean.

LINK (Via:The Press Democrat)

Meanwhile on the Trinity -

Hatchery Raised Fish Hurt Wild Steelhead

Oregon research shows that steelhead raised in captivity are hurting wild-born fish. Oregon State University zoology professor Michael Blouin found the captive-born fish inter-breed and pass on their weaknesses to wild fish.

The new research undermines ongoing experiments by state and tribal fishery managers to crossbreed wild fish with fish raised in hatcheries.

LINK (Via: The Columbian)

Steelhead recovering through Hood Canal program

Scientists have spent two years rearing wild steelhead in hopes of restoring threatened Puget Sound populations.

Steelhead hatcheries typically feed their steelhead a heavy diet to boost their size for release after their first year. But the slowly fed 2 year olds seem to survive at a much higher rate. In fact, holding fish for an extra year appears to be so successful that it may become the norm -- particularly for a new breed of hatcheries aimed at increasing natural populations rather than just producing fish for sport and tribal fisheries.

LINK (Via: Oregon Live)

Scientist discovers beavers building prime salmon habitat in Skagit Delta

A interesting story on tidal beavers, their vanishing habitat, and their role in building predation refuges for juvenile salmon.

As sometimes happens with science, Greg Hood went looking for one thing, and found something else: Tidal beavers.

LINK (Via: The Seattle Times)