A male pink salmon fights its way up stream to spawn in a Southeast Alaska stream in August 2010. A recent report out of Washington state details a dire situation for the state’s salmon. Advocates in Alaska say the report offers a warning to Alaska about salmon-safe development. (Michael Penn / Juneau Empire File)

A male pink salmon fights its way up stream to spawn in a Southeast Alaska stream in August 2010. A recent report out of Washington state details a dire situation for the state’s salmon. Advocates in Alaska say the report offers a warning to Alaska about salmon-safe development. (Michael Penn / Juneau Empire File)

Salmon advocates: Dire Washington report offers warning to Alaska

A salmon story with a different ending?

Salmon in Washington state are at the diverging paths of recovery and extinction, according to a recent report.

Although the exact circumstances are different in Alaska, where salmon runs remain relatively robust despite dwindling numbers in some portions of the state, salmon advocates in the Last Frontier say there are clear lessons that can be gleaned to prevent the state’s future from resembling Washington’s present as detailed in the 2020 State of Salmon in Watersheds report.

“We are absolutely replicating what they have done wrong,” said Lindsey Bloom, campaign strategist for SalmonState, in a Zoom interview. “We’re just a younger state in terms of development and whatnot.”

Bloom specifically cited potential development in the Tongass, proposed projects such as the Pebble Mine, proposed water regulation changes and a lack of salmon-safe requirements for hydroelectricity projects as some areas of concern.

Erik Neatherlin, executive coordinator of the Governor’s Salmon Recovery Office in Washington, said Alaska certainly has unique characteristics, but some concerns raised by the State of Salmon report are applicable.

In Washington, a State of Salmon report is prepared on a biennial basis, as directed by state statute. The Governor’s Salmon Recovery Office, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are among the agencies credited for producing the information contained in the report.

[Planet Alaska: Fishing for winter kings]

Neatherlin identified dealing with the impact of climate change and protecting the quality of freshwater and shoreline habitats as things important to salmon whether the fish are in Washington or Alaska.

“Those are all factors that I think would be lessons learned,” Neatherlin said in a phone interview. “Especially, when you have a place like Alaska where you have a lot of habitat, a lot of freshwater, a lot of shoreline. Those are areas you want to pay attention to and make sure you’re protecting them for salmon.”

Alaska Department of Fish and Game Commissioner Doug Vincent-Lang, in a statement provided by a department spokesperson, acknowledged some commonalities shared by Alaska and Washington.

However, he said there are also some important differences, including relatively pristine freshwater habitats in Alaska.

“We share many of the same concerns but also differ on their relative importance,” Vincent-Lang said in a statement. “For example, in comparison to WA where freshwater habitats (are) a major issue Alaska’s freshwater habitats are relatively pristine and unaltered. And we have a robust Title 16 program to ensure for habitat conservation into the future. We are also involved in the Pacific Salmon Treaty as well as other international groups which help govern salmon management in the North Pacific to ensure salmon will be around for future generations.”

Title 16 requires that people or agencies that want “to construct a hydraulic project, or use, divert, obstruct, pollute, or change the natural flow or bed of a specified river, lake, or stream, or to use wheeled, tracked, or excavating equipment or log-dragging equipment in the bed of a specified river, lake, or stream” to notify the commissioner of their plans before construction or use.

Per statute, “the commissioner shall approve the proposed construction, work, or use in writing unless the commissioner finds the plans and specifications insufficient for the proper protection of fish and game.” The would-be builder or user is then notified of the decision and has 90 days to initiate a hearing.

Bloom said she would like to see policy with more explicit guidelines and protections.

“At this point, it’s more that Alaska has dodged bullets rather than having solid rules in place,” Bloom said in an email. “ADF&G has proven to be world class at managing runs but as a state we have been lucky rather than good when it comes to habitat management. Pebble Mine, Susitna Dam, stripping away roadless area protections for the Tongass, these are near misses and/or looming threats that will send Alaska down the exact same road as Washington. What we decide to do on these and other projects that threaten salmon habitat moving forward will determine whether Alaska’s salmon story remains different than Washington and almost everywhere else.”

Contact Ben Hohenstatt at 907-308-4895 or bhohenstatt@juneauempire.com. Follow him on Twitter at @BenHohenstatt.

More in News

The Kasilof River is seen from the Kasilof River Recreation Area, July 30, 2019, in Kasilof, Alaska. (Photo by Erin Thompson/Peninsula Clarion)
King salmon fishing on Kasilof to close Thursday

If any king salmon is caught while fishing for other species, they may not be removed from the water and must be released immediately.

Un’a, a female sea otter pup who was admitted to the Alaska SeaLife Center in June 2025, plays with an enrichment toy at the center in Seward, Alaska. Photo courtesy of the Alaska SeaLife Center
SeaLife Center admits 2 seal pups, 1 orphaned otter

The three pups join the Alaska SeaLife Center’s ‘growing’ patient list.

James Wardlow demonstrates flilleting a salmon with an ulu during a smoked salmon demonstration, part of Fish Week 2023, on Wednesday, July 19, 2023, at the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center in Soldotna, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Refuge to celebrate all things fish during weeklong event

Fish Week will take place July 16-19.

President Zen Kelly speaks during a meeting of the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District Board of Education in Soldotna, Alaska, on Monday, July 7, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
School board finalizes budget with deep cuts to programming, classrooms

Multiple members of the board said they were frustrated by the state’s failure to fund education.

Former KPBSD Finance Director Liz Hayes speaks during a Kenai Peninsula Borough School District budget development meeting at Kenai Central High School in Kenai, Alaska, on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
School district finance department earns national awards

The two awards are based on comprehensive reviews of the district’s budget and financial reporting.

Children leap forward to grab candy during a Fourth of July parade on South Willow Street in Kenai, Alaska, on July 4, 2025. (Photo courtesy Sarah Every)
Celebrating the 4th in the streets

Kenai comes out for annual Independence Day parade.

Fire crews respond to the Bruce Fire, July 4, 2025, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Alaska Division of Forestry)
Firefighting crews respond to wildfire outside Soldotna

The 8-acre fire and two “spot fires” of less than one acre each are located near Mile 102 and 103 of the Sterling Highway.

Robert Weaver was last seen at the Doroshin Bay public use cabin on June 25, 2025. (Photo provided by the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge)
Updated: Refuge ends search efforts for missing man

Robert Weaver was last seen near Skilak Lake on June 25.

Most Read