Thank you for including us in this conversation. We were one of several organizations that signed the letter to Governor Inslee. We can't speak for others but appreciate the opportunity to response and share our perspective. It was not our intention to “refer to Tribes as special interest groups” and we believe an objective read of the letter shows that we didn’t. We deeply respect Tribal sovereignty, Treaty rights, and the important role of Tribes as co-managers. Our intent was to advocate for a Commission that represents the broad public interest, including the ecological, cultural, and recreational values held by all who live in Washington. We’re happy to discuss any questions or concerns directly in the future and encourage reaching out to us anytime. (fb)

This year for the 2025 GiveBIG community giving event, we have BIG news to share! Making history this summer, WFC is supporting local fishers in OR and WA implement the first sustainable and selective fish trap fishery on the lower Columbia River! For the first time in nearly a century, local commercial fishers have the opportunity to employ an alternative fishing method to the conventional gillnet. This new sustainable fishery comes as a result of a decade of WFC's successful fish trap research on the Columbia River that has demonstrated the ability of fish traps to enable commercial fishers to safely release wild salmon and steelhead bycatch with nearly 100% survival to the spawning grounds, while still enabling selective harvest of hatchery fish and invasive species that harm wild salmon recovery. The success of this new fishery is not just critical for the Columbia River—it’s being closely watched by coastal communities across the Pacific Northwest. This emerging fishery is serving as a working model to demonstrate the critical role of selective fishing methods in protecting wild salmon and creating resilient, sustainable fisheries. Ensuring its success could open the door to a new era of selective, sustainable fisheries throughout the region—making your support now urgent and crucial. That's why this year for GiveBIG we're seeking your support to raise critical funding needed for our staff to advance the research, share our knowledge, and support progressive commercial fishers as they build this new sustainable fishery for the recovery of wild salmon, orca whales, and coastal fishing economies. We hope you’ll consider donating now through tomorrow during the May 6-7th Give Big! event to help continue this incredible momentum and success. https://www.wagives.org/organization/wild-fish-conservancy (fb)