Federal Government Denies Endangered Listings for West Coast Chinook Salmon

The federal government announced Monday that it will not list Western Coast Chinook salmon as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act.

Following a petition to protect the species and designate critical habitat, the National Marine Fisheries Service conducted a comprehensive 12-month review. The agency ultimately determined that populations along the Oregon Coast and Northern California do not warrant listing.

“Based on the best scientific and commercial information available, including the status review report, and taking into account efforts being made to protect the species, we have determined that the … Chinook salmon [evolutionarily significant units] do not warrant listing,” the service stated.

The review team found that while the species faces historical threats from mining, dams, and urban development, current extinction risks are low. The agency pointed to 14 monitored populations along the Oregon Coast, noting that between 1986 and 2021, most spawned in the thousands. The service also concluded that current harvest levels remain sustainable and that predation is not driving population declines.

The decision sparked immediate backlash from conservation groups. The Center for Biological Diversity, which co-authored the original 2022 petition, slammed the move.

“Selling out salmon runs will benefit only the logging industry and dam operators, while fish, wildlife, orcas, healthy rivers, salmon fishers, tribes and the public interest suffer,” said Jeff Miller, a senior conservation advocate at the Center.

The service noted that existing partnerships, such as those with the U.S. Forest Service, are helping protect riparian habitats. They emphasized that this is a final action and they will not be soliciting public comments.