As California’s coho salmon continue their spiral towards extinction, California Assemblyman Jared Huffman has crafted legislation that makes it easier to improve critical coho habitat — which just passed the assembly and is headed for the state senate (from the [San Anselmo-Fairfax paper](http://sananselmofairfax.patch.com/articles/huffman-bill-to-protect-coho-salmon-gets-assembly-approval-4fa4bb37)):
Coho salmon have virtually disappeared in some areas of California; in other areas they are teetering on the brink of extinction, according to the release. The bill helps stop that slide by empowering the California Department of Fish and Game to use a one-stop process for approving immediate on-the-ground habitat restoration projects proposed by governmental and non-governmental partners to aid California’s struggling coho salmon populations. “We cannot sit idly by and let an iconic North Coast fish disappear from California,” Huffman said. “My bill is about taking thoughtful, immediate actions to create near-term results. Coho salmon can’t afford to wait and neither can the communities where these restoration projects would provide much needed jobs.”
Coho salmon have virtually disappeared in some areas of California; in other areas they are teetering on the brink of extinction, according to the release. The bill helps stop that slide by empowering the California Department of Fish and Game to use a one-stop process for approving immediate on-the-ground habitat restoration projects proposed by governmental and non-governmental partners to aid California’s struggling coho salmon populations.
“We cannot sit idly by and let an iconic North Coast fish disappear from California,” Huffman said. “My bill is about taking thoughtful, immediate actions to create near-term results. Coho salmon can’t afford to wait and neither can the communities where these restoration projects would provide much needed jobs.”
CalTrout supports AB1961, and because we’re legal eagles, we’ll keep tracking and reporting about it here.
