MOUNT VERNON — The State of Salmon in Watersheds report released this month by the Governor’s Salmon Recovery Office shows that 10 of the 14 endangered and threatened salmon and steelhead populations are still not doing well.
In the Puget Sound, chinook and steelhead populations are listed under the federal Endangered Species Act. Both are still categorized as “in crisis,” which they have been in since being listed in 1999 and 2007, respectively.
Eli Asher, policy specialist for the Governor’s Salmon Recovery Office and the report’s author, said that “in crisis” refers to species whose populations are low and are trending downward.
The report also said the state lacks complete data on Puget Sound steelhead.
