Efforts to strengthen our state’s salmon resource continues to be a priority for Republican Representative J.T. Wilcox of Yelm. Nic Scott reports.
Wilcox is working on a package of bills to ensure that salmon stocks remain strong and available to tribes and anglers:
“If we don’t have runs and if we are not in a position where we can allow human beings to harvest those runs then we’ve lost something we can never get back.”
Representative Wilcox says hatchery production, reducing salmon predation and fish habitat restoration, including culvert replacement projects, are paramount:
“We’ve had many habitat recovery projects that have been identified, they’ve been designed, they’ve been prioritized, in spite of the fact we’ve had record revenues, we’ve never put sufficient funding toward those habitat restoration projects that will hurt nobody and won’t cost us any electricity – won’t cost landowners any of their land.”
Wilcox supports prioritizing available dollars where the biggest difference can be made in benefitting all species of salmon.
The 2024 Legislative session begins Monday, January 8th.