Wild Salmon Center and a small group of concerned stakeholders helped establish a new organization, Coastal Rivers Conservancy (CRC), to focus on the long-term protection of wild salmon and steelhead ecosystems in British Columbia’s inner central coast. That area includes the Dean, Fisher, Bentick and Burke rivers and marine channels. Longtime Dean River guide Scott Carlson will be the Executive Director of CRC.

The organization will take a collaborative regional approach with local First Nations, NGOs, government agencies, and stakeholders to address habitat, development, and fisheries issues. And with support from The Stronghold Fund (Wild Salmon Center’s impact fund), the organization will work closely with WSC Science Director Matt Sloat on its first order of business: building up-to-date knowledge of salmon stocks in the region. From there, CRC will work to implement protections that lead to long-term safeguards of the region’s wild salmon and steelhead runs.

To learn more or to sign up for CRC’s newsletter, go to coastalriversconservancy.org.