Alaska’s wild salmon legacy is in our hands

Anglers demonstrate support for Ballot Measure 1 while fishing the Kenai River. Photo courtesy of Eric Booton By Eric Booton “I came from one of your possible futures: California. Not too long ago, our king salmon runs were bigger than yours, our salmon were bigger than yours, and there still are some,” Hank Shaw, author…

Voices from the River: Field day

About 800 miles from the ocean, high on the western slope of Lolo Pass, king salmon cling to life. By Warren Colyer You never know quite what to expect at a project site. And that’s one of the things I love most about my job. Granted, I don’t get too many field days anymore. It…

Roadless redux? Really?

Photo by John Schoen By Chris Wood The state of Alaska’s recent proposal to re-open the roadless debate brought back memories. Mike was flossing his teeth when I entered his office. “I’m sorry. I’m running late for the dentist.” It was 1998, and Mike Dombeck, the chief of the U.S. Forest Service, had proposed a…

Voices from the river: The Holy Trinity

Angler on California’s Trinity River. By Sam Davidson Every year, when the perseid meteor shower flings sparks across the night skies, I start thinking about fishing the Trinity River. The “Holy Trinity” is one of the best salmon and steelhead streams in California, and perhaps the Lower 48. In August summer run steelhead are in…

How I’ll be celebrating Alaska Wild Salmon Day

Heidi and a Bear Trail Lodge client with a nice Bristol Bay rainbow. Photo courtesy of Heidi Wild Re-posted from the Peninsula Clarion. By: Heidi Wild In 2018, Bristol Bay broke the record of returning wild sockeye salmon. As the rest of the state closes to salmon fishing, Bristol Bay is breaking records. I’m stunned…

TU responds to lapse of Chetco River mineral withdrawal

The Chetco River, one of the finest salmon and steelhead fisheries in the West. For more than a decade TU has worked with other fishing and conservation groups to protect coastal salmon and steelhead streams in southwest Oregon from mining and o ther types of resource development that could harm legendary fisheries such as the…