Who We Are

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

At Large:
1. Candace Beardslee

2. Stephen Conroy

3. Joe Kelly
4. Hugh Lewis, Secretary

5. Brian Roberts, Treasurer
6.  Bern Shanks

Regional:
1. (NW) Bill McMillan, President
2. (NE) Dick Rieman, Vice President
3. (SE) Vance Jennings
 

Click here to read a letter from Executive Director Kurt Beardslee

Wild trout, salmon, char, and other fish have been an integral part of the economic, cultural, and ecological fabric of the Northwest for thousands of years. Over the last several decades, native fish have declined across the region, and today, many wild-fish populations face the threat of extinction.

Wild Fish Conservancy is a non-profit conservation-ecology organization dedicated to the preservation and recovery of the Northwest’s native fish and the ecosystems they depend on.  Wild Fish Conservancy seeks to improve conditions for all of the Northwest’s wild fish by conducting important research on wild-fish populations and habitats, advocating for better land-use, salmon-harvest, and hatchery management, and developing model habitat-restoration projects.  Since its founding in 1989, Wild Fish Conservancy has built a reputation for effectiveness, expertise, credibility, and a focus on the needs of the resource.

A watershed ecosystem is incredibly complex, each element interconnected. The system cannot function properly without every element present and healthy. At Wild Fish Conservancy we use the best available science to identify problems that limit ecosystem function, and advocate for the most appropriate management responses.

Only wild fish hold the genetic and life history diversity necessary for long-term adaptation, productivity, and survival. Only by preserving wild-fish diversity, as well as critical habitats, can we ensure that robust, healthy fish populations will survive to satisfy our continuing cultural and economic needs.

Wild Fish Conservancy represents no specific user groups. We are dedicated solely to the needs of Washington’s wild fish. Please join Washington Trout in working to preserve this unique resource for future generations.

You can help recover wild fish and preserve an important part of the Northwest’s identity, culture, and environment by joining Wild Fish Conservancy.

Wild Fish Conservancyhas corrected the misidentification of over 4500 fishbearing streams throughout Washington, qualifying those waters for the legal protections they deserve.

Wild Fish Conservancyhas successfully advocated for needed fishing, land use, and hatchery-management changes in Washington, fighting to improve the performance of local, state, and federal resource agencies.

Wild Fish Conservancyhas carried out important field research on the status and recovery needs of wild-fish populations and habitats in every region of Washington State.

Wild Fish Conservancyhas designed and implemented cutting edge habitat restoration projects that will provide models for similar recovery efforts throughout the region.

Wild Fish Conservancyprovides a vehicle for individuals and communities that want to get meaningfully involved in salmon recovery and environmental protection.

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"A watershed ecosystem is a complex web of life where all elements must be present and healthy for it to function properly."

"Wild Fish Conservancy works for the preservation of genetic integrity of wild fish stocks"