From the mountains to the sea, salmon connect us. Saving them means following their lead: connecting and integrating the actions of all who have a stake in their recovery. This is what LLTK has been doing for 30 years. It’s what we do best.

In 1986, LLTK’s founders—concerned about declines in fisheries and wild fish populations—rolled up their sleeves and decided to do something about it.

Our earliest project established a new Chinook run in north Puget Sound, introducing a sustainable fishery where none had existed before. We expanded that approach to SW Washington and Hood Canal, bringing innovative methods and increasing salmon and steelhead runs that had—in many instances—dwindled to the single digits.

But just as salmon transition through several life stages, LLTK kept growing; seeking to make a broader impact. With our in-stream expertise, management insight, and success record, we were uniquely qualified to assist the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), Tribes, and the US Fish and Wildlife Service in recalibrating hatchery operations to restore wild fish and support sustainable fishing.

Now LLTK is working with Federal and State leaders and our partners to secure the important resources needed to address all elements of recovery—from hatchery reform to basic science and habitat restoration—and with watershed stakeholders to measure our progress.

With your help, we’re leveraging our international work on marine survival in the Salish Sea to shed new light on the health of salmon throughout the NE Pacific; partnering with universities, other nonprofits and the Boeing Co. and Vulcan Inc. to address stormwater impacts on salmon; and targeting critical infrastructure bottlenecks—like the Hood Canal Bridge and Lake Washington Ship Canal—to identify, fund and implement solutions.

It’s an honor to serve at the helm of this dynamic and driven organization, which has for 30 years delivered on the promise of our founders to seek and pursue new solutions. I invite you to join us as we embark on the next phase of our lifecycle and expand LLTK’s influence throughout the north Pacific. Thank you for your support of our work. We couldn’t do it without you.

Jacques White, LLTK Executive Director