Long Live the Kings and Hatchery Reform

| Hatchery Reform Project Website

The Puget Sound and Coastal Washington Hatchery Reform Project

In May 1999, a group of leading scientists issued a report to Congress saying that hatcheries have the potential to make a major, positive impact on the conservation of wild salmon and steelhead, in just a few years and at relatively small cost.

In response, Congress created and funded the Puget Sound and Coastal Washington Hatchery Reform Project, a groundbreaking, science-driven effort to rethink how hatcheries can be managed to help conserve naturally spawning populations and support sustainable fisheries. Congress established the Hatchery Scientific Review Group (HSRG), an independent panel of nine highly regarded scientists, as the heart of the reform effort.

Congress designated LLTK as the project's independent, third-party facilitator, based on our history of working with the state, Tribal, and federal fish managers, our experience rearing salmon at our own facilities, and our projects exploring ways hatcheries can be used to help restore wild salmon populations.

In addition to facilitation, LLTK provided project management and communications for the Puget Sound and Coastal Washington Hatchery Reform Project, which was complete in 2005. The project resulted in over 1,000 recommendations for programmatic changes. Learn more about the project at www.hatcheryreform.org.

The Columbia River Basin Hatchery Review

In 2005, the US Fish and Wildlife Service/Pacific Region asked LLTK to help apply the HSRG's principles, framework and regional review tools from the Puget Sound and Coastal Washington Hatchery Reform Project to a review of all USFWS-affiliated Columbia River Basin hatcheries.

The USFWS Hatchery Review Team, comprised of Service and other federal scientists (NOAA & USGS) is conducting field tours with hatchery managers and staff, reviewing hatchery operations, and meeting with the co-managing agencies and tribes to get a clear understanding of the goals for and status of each wild and hatchery population, and associated habitat and management strategies. LLTK Director of Fish Programs Michael Schmidt is serving as facilitator for the hatchery review.

The USFWS completed its prototype review of the Warm Springs National Fish Hatchery in early 2006, and has since completed reviews of its programs on the mid-Columbia. For more information about the USFWS hatchery reform efforts, or to read the reports, please visit the USFWS Columbia River Basin Hatchery Review Project website.