Salmon Steward

L ate last year the Pacific Salmon Foundation updated its Strategic Plan with a set of exciting new initiatives that will help guide us through the next three years (2016-2018). One of the first is First Nations engagement. We have always had successful working relationships with B.C.'s First Nations. Expanding this engagement further has the potential to provide significant benefits to First Nations, the Foundation – and Pacific salmon. First Nations clearly have strong ties to salmon, which makes them a natural partner for us on projects and in communities across B.C. The Foundation has already begun acting on this new priority with the appointment of our newest board member, Brenda Gaertner, who as a lawyer, has successfully acted for First Nations for many years. Another key element of the Plan is increased outreach in the Yukon Territory. Pacific salmon are as important there as in B.C., and they face similar conservation challenges. In fact, the change in state of Yukon River Chinook is likely one of Canada's most important conser- vation concerns. First Nations along the river have been particularly affected, as they've had to cease fishing for the past two years due to poor Chinook returns. The Foundation will be looking to increase community involvement in the restoration of salmon stocks and habitat, with a particular focus on Chinook salmon. Pacific salmon science remains a strong component of the Strategic Plan, and the Salish Sea Marine Survival Project will continue to be our main focus during the next three years. We got off to a roaring start last year, working with 30 partners on a total of 33 different projects. A key part of the Project is the Citizen Science Program, which has nine boats operating in overlapping areas up and down the coast, all of which are collecting information that will be key to understanding what has been happening to salmon in the Salish Sea. We also intend to remain engaged in public policy initiatives, with an emphasis on the provincial government's new Water Sustainability Act. How this Act is imple- mented will be critical to salmon, particularly with respect to minimum ecological flows of water, groundwater management and the potential development of local watershed advisory councils. Finally, our new Strategic Plan will continue to include what has been our feature initiative over the past 29 years – the Community Salmon Program. We reached a milestone in 2015, as total investment from community groups and their salmon-related projects hit $100 million! (Story p. 16). The majority of funds for the Program are gener- ated through sales of the federal Salmon Con- servation Stamp, a decal purchased annually by anglers if they wish to keep Pacific salmon caught in saltwater off Canada's West Coast. Currently, all proceeds from the $6 stamp are returned to British Columbia through the Foundation, generating about $1.5 million for community grants annually. But, with project applications continuing to increase every year, the Foundation wants the ability to do even more for salmon in communities across the province. That's why we are developing a proposal for the federal government that would see the cost of the stamp indexed to inflation, affording the Foundation the increased funding needed to expand the Community Salmon Program and respond to grant requests from communities. There are many other interesting parts to our new Strategic Plan, which I invite everyone to view online at psf.ca/about/strategic-plan. To conclude, I want to emphasize that the Foundation is all about partnerships, and leveraging the contributions we receive from you. As we look forward to our 30th anniversary next year, I want to thank the hundreds of donors and partners listed in our magazine and the volunteers who contribute their time to rehabilitate and enhance Pacific salmon habitat. Without this support, our strategic goals would not be successful. Setting the Course for the Future www.psf.ca | 2016 Edition chair's message co-EDIToRs Michael Meneer Elayne sun EDIToRIAL cooRDINAToR Matt currie ART DIREcToR Bernhard Holzmann coNTRIBuTINg wRITERs Tony Allard carolynn Beaty stephen Bruyneel Maycira costa Brenda gaertner Dr. Isobel Pearsall Nikki wright PRoDucTIoN MANAgER Kristina Borys ADvERTIsINg DEsIgN chris sherwood ELEcTRoNIc IMAgINg Mandy Lau AccouNT MANAgER Katherine Kjaer Salmon Steward is published for The Pacific salmon Foundation by canada wide Media Limited. 230-4321 still creek Drive Burnaby, B.c. v5c 6s7 Tel: 604.299.7311 canadawide.com No part of this magazine may be reproduced without written permission of the publisher. Pacific Salmon Foundation 300 – 1682 West 7th Avenue, Vancouver, B.C. V6J 4S6 T: 604.664.7664 | F: 604.664.7665 support@psf.ca | www.psf.ca canadian Publications Mail Product sales Agreement No. 40065475 cDN charitable Reg.# 11907 5638 RR0001 Printed on Fsc ® certified paper. RogeR L. FLoweRdew, Chairman, Pacific Salmon Foundation Board of Directors 4 2016 psf.ca

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