Wild places call us home, they’re fundamental to human life, and protecting them is in the interest of every single American. 

By Guido Rahr, President and CEO

It’s been a turbulent political season, tacked onto an exhausting year. Now more than ever, everyone needs a deep, pure breath straight from the heart of nature. So do yourself a favor and head to your favorite wild refuge in the coming days and weeks.

Feel the force of a cold, clear stream against your knees and watch a fly disappear mid-drift.

Breathe.

Spy a coho hen in spawning colors digging her redd in the cobble, surrounded by golden cottonwoods and hovering male bucks.

Breathe.

Hike down through a misty rainforest full of ancient firs, toward a secluded turquoise pool. And breathe.  

Wild Salmon Center works to protect the last great salmon ecosystems because coastal life depends on them.

But we also do it to protect the soul connections on which human sanity depends.

When you’ve restored your strength, we’ve got an ambitious agenda with which we need your help.

Bristol Bay, Alaska, awaits secure, long-term protection. The Tillamook Rainforest in Oregon nears a new 70-year plan that would protect wild fish strongholds. We need to yank the dams and restore wild Chinook runs on the Klamath, and rebuild coastal habitat on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula.

Regardless of election results, we have our work cut out for us next year. We’re hopeful that the incoming Administration and a divided Congress will build a working relationship that prioritizes science-based decision-making and land and water protections. But there are also many urgent issues before our national and local leadership—not least the Covid-19 crisis. We face an uphill battle to elevate our top concerns and deliver better results for wild salmon and salmon-dependent communities. 

As always, we will make our case that the protection of clean air, clean water, and our last great wild places is in the interest of every single American. 

These wild places call us home, and they’re fundamental to human life. 

Fortunately, we’ve got you—part of a growing community of salmon advocates from all walks of life who share a common belief in the power of wild rivers and wild fish to sustain us.

If we’ve learned anything this year, we’ve learned the strength of this community. 

We’re grateful for that. And when you’ve regained your strength, we look forward to getting down to work and an exciting 2021.