Forest, fishery leaders debate causes of salmon decline

NORTH BEND — Despite the bridge closure and traffic delays whittling down attendance, the leading forest and fishery minds gathered for the West Coast Salmon Summit to discuss the state of current salmon populations.

The final day of the second annual summit, held this year at The Mill Casino, highlighted the importance of collaboration, with experts in recovery, restoration, legislation and the economy sharing ideas for how they can assist one another to combat declines in salmon.

With salmon populations being reduced because they have to compete with other plants and animal species for water in streams, a greater emphasis was placed on how climate change has exacerbated the problem.

Pat Rutten, field supervisor for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration restoration center, pointed to the severe drought conditions in California and the proposed $7 billion water bond project as an example of legislation not addressing the bigger picture.

“California tends to want to build its way out of problems,” Rutten said. “They just don’t seem to understand there’s a big problem.”

While the water bond would provide temporary relief to farmers who have seen their crop numbers dwindle, the initiative is not cost-effective and does not address how to combat problems in .... http://theworldlink.com/news/local/fores...6f2b29c40c.html