The federal government listed several species of salmon as threatened or endangered. The State of Washington chose to establish a local framework to determine what actions would be taken to protect these species and their habitat, rather than leave the decision-making process to non-resident agencies. The framework established includes an option for county governments to participate as Lead Entities for a given geographic area. 

Klickitat County is the the Lead Entity for the Klickitat Lead Entity. This area includes Water Resource Inventory Areas 29b (White Salmon), 30 (Klickitat), and 31 (Rock-Glade). It also includes the Columbia River extending from the confluence with the White Salmon River upstream to the confluence with the Yakima River.

Background information for the lead entity program is available on the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office's Salmon Recovery Website.

Salmon Habitat Recovery Strategy

The Klickitat Lead Entity Salmon Recovery Strategy 2021 (PDF) outlines the vision for local salmonid recovery and the goals and other components for salmon habitat recovery and protection in the Klickitat Lead Entity’s geographic area.

This strategy was developed for use by the Klickitat Lead Entity Organization for non-regulatory purposes, such as those outlined in the document. The strategy has not been subject to peer review or other quality assurance processes appropriate for regulatory application of its contents. Do not cite or quote the Klickitat Lead Entity Salmon Recovery Strategy without the express written consent of the Klickitat Lead Entity.

Salmon Recovery Project Grants

Every year the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office holds a competitive grant round to fund salmon habitat recovery projects. Local projects must be submitted through the Klickitat Lead Entity for funding consideration. 

The 2023 grant round will open in February 2023. Please check back for more information or contact Klickitat County Natural Resources Department.

Technical Committee and Citizens Review Committee

The Klickitat Lead Entity Technical Committee and Citizens Review Committee help review and prioritize local salmon recovery projects and identify critical salmonid habitat protection and restoration needs. 

 Any citizen may apply for appointment to the Citizens Review Committee. Open committee seats will be advertised on this webpage.