In 2004, Salmon Forever continues to focus its work on the problems of turbidity and sediment accumulation damaging Humboldt Bay tributaries important to California's threatened wild salmon.

	Kristi Wrigley, 3rd generation resident of Elk River, on Wrigley Road with railing of N.Fork Elk bridge emerging above flood waters that rose 16 feet during a December rainstorm. Intensive logging in the upper watershed has dumped thousands of tons of sed Photo: Clark Fenton

Central to our work is the turbidity/suspended sediment monitoring program which operates three continuous monitoring stations, ten field sampling sites, and a laboratory which processes over 2000 samples a year. Our data is a means of measuring the contribution of upstream logging practices to salmon habitat degradation and flooding of downstream properties. It has also demonstrated the importance of adding this component to the monitoring now being done by Pacific Lumber Company and the North Coast Regional Water Board.

Salmon Forever also believes that in order to protect and bring back salmon, it is essential for Humboldt County to move away from unsustainable large-scale resource extraction industries, reduce sources of pollution which threaten critical habitat, and to move toward a non-polluting energy infrastructure and good jobs that restore the environment and build community

Toward that end, Salmon Forever is working with economists, scientists, community planners, and its partners, the Humboldt Watershed Council and the Breakthrough Institute (www.thebreakthrough.org), to create and promote an economic vision for Humboldt County that focuses on sustainable fishing, agriculture, forestry and clean, non-fossil fuel energy. Primary in its implementation would be a proactive campaign to support local businesses and invite carefully selected industries, so we no longer have to defend against companies like Calpine and Maxxam, which offer short-term economic gain at the expense of our long-term economic and environmental well-being.


More Updates

• August, 2003 Update
  

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