Dear friends,

The results are in: this was a change election in the United States. A new Trump Administration and likely a Republican Congress will assume leadership in January. 

As jarring as these political moments can be, we’ve been here before. As we’ve transitioned from administration to administration through the years, Wild Salmon Center has learned a few things about running a durable organization capable of remaining laser-focused on our mission: protecting wild salmon and their home rivers. 

First, we’ve learned that it’s critical to have support from leaders across the political spectrum. We have carefully and deliberately built a network of board members, partners, and donors who know how to get things done in the halls of power. As we look to the future, we’ll be leveraging these connections to continue protecting the world’s most important wild salmon strongholds. 

Second: we see the power of a shared story, grounded in science. We marshal the facts to describe how the places we care about are meaningful to everyone—and to the planet as a whole. We’re less interested in the ideological battle between conservation and development and more passionate about the inherent value of healthy, beautiful wild salmon rivers. 

We know how much this shared story energizes you, our community. And we are going to need that spirit in the coming months and years. We don’t yet know the shape of the future, but it seems likely that we’ll face structural changes to environmental protection in the US. With large industrial projects and climate change already threatening stronghold rivers, we have to engage with this new administration—with every administration—to secure a better future for salmon. 

So, stay close as we build on our long experience to continue advancing our ultimate goal: delivering the world’s most stunning salmon rivers to our children and grandchildren. 

Onward,
Guido

Guido Rahr
President & CEO
Wild Salmon Center