Wild Steelhead Coalition

Mission

Our mission is to restore wild steelhead populations in their native watersheds to levels that provide self-sustaining runs and economic vitality to local communities.

Description

The Wild Steelhead Coalition (WSC) is a non-profit organization dedicated to increasing the return of wild steelhead to the waters of the West Coast. Wild steelhead, the Washington state fish, are an important cultural and economic legacy in the Pacific Northwest and have been reduced to a fraction of their historic capacity. Over-harvest, habitat loss, ineffective hatchery practices, human-constructed barriers to migration, and misguided management strategies have all contributed to the decline-and in some cases extinction-of wild steelhead runs. The Wild Steelhead Coalition (WSC) believes that, without meaningful changes to policies and attitudes, these same factors will continue to reduce wild steelhead populations to the point where they will no longer be sustainable.

The Wild Steelhead Coalition was founded in 2000 by a group of conscientious steelhead anglers and advocates, determined to make lasting change for this iconic species. For more than 15 years, the WSC has worked to build partnerships, educate stakeholders, and change policy on behalf of this magnificent fish.