Washington Department of Natural Resources State Forest Practices Habitat Conservation Plan
June 05, 2006
This HCP is a 50-year agreement for protection of Washington's streams and forests that provide habitat for more than 70 aquatic species, including salmon, many of them threatened or endangered. It covers 13 populations of salmon and steelhead.
Affected Species
- Chinook salmon (Upper Columbia River spring-run, Puget Sound, Lower Columbia River, Upper Willamette River, Snake River spring/summer run, Snake River fall run, All unlisted ESUs),
- Chum salmon (Columbia River, Hood Canal summer run, All unlisted ESUs),
- Coho Salmon,
- Sockeye salmon (Ozette Lake, Snake River, All ESUs),
- Steelhead (Puget Sound, Lower Columbia river, Middle Columbia River, Upper Columbia River, Snake River Basin, Upper Willamette River, All unlisted ESUs),
- Pink Salmon (All ESUs),
- Green sturgeon,
- White sturgeon,
- Eulachon,
- Shiner perch,
- Pacific staghorn sculpin,
- Starry Flounder,
- Surf Smelt,
- Pacific sandlance, and
- Pacific herring
Summary
This HCP is a 50-year agreement for protection of Washington's streams and forests that provide habitat for more than 70 aquatic species, including salmon, many of them threatened or endangered. It covers 13 populations of salmon and steelhead.
Set in motion by the Forests and Fish Act, the programmatic, statewide plan covers 60,000 miles of streams running through 9.3 million acres of forest land. The plan, signed in June 2006, was the result of more than a decade of collaboration to develop it.
NOAA Fisheries and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service approval recognizes that practicing forestry by Washington State's Forest Practices Rules meets federal ESA requirements for aquatic species covered under the HCP.