Tribal hatcheries get NOAA clearance near threatened Puget Sound fish
Published Date: 10/29/2026
Notice
Summary
The Sauk-Suiattle, Swinomish, and Upper Skagit Tribes, along with Washington’s Fish and Wildlife Department, want to run hatchery programs for fall-run chum salmon in the Skagit River. After review, NOAA says these plans won’t hurt the survival or homes of Puget Sound Chinook salmon or steelhead. This means the programs can move forward without risking these threatened fish, keeping the river’s ecosystem safe and sound.
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 4 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
NOAA ERD Finds No Harm to Chinook or Steelhead
NOAA's Evaluation and Recommended Determination (ERD) for three Hatchery and Genetic Management Plans (HGMPs) in the Skagit River concludes the plans "will not appreciably reduce the likelihood of survival and recovery nor modify or destroy critical habitat" of Puget Sound Chinook salmon or Puget Sound steelhead. The ERD notice was published in the Federal Register on October 29, 2026.
Hatchery Programs Intended to Support Tribal and Public Fisheries
The submitted hatchery programs are described as designed to contribute to tribal and non-tribal fisheries and to help fulfill Federal trust responsibilities toward Tribes (as affirmed in United States v. Washington (1974)) by contributing to salmon harvests in the Skagit River basin. The HGMPs identify the Sauk-Suiattle, Swinomish, and Upper Skagit Tribes and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife as co-managers.
HGMPs Include Monitoring to Limit Impacts
The HGMPs include monitoring activities to evaluate the programs' effectiveness in meeting their goals while limiting impacts to Puget Sound Chinook salmon and Puget Sound steelhead. NMFS' ERD evaluates how the HGMPs address the criteria in 50 CFR 223.203(b)(5).
ESA 'Take' Exceptions for Approved Hatchery Programs
The notice states that NMFS may make exceptions to ESA 'take' prohibitions for hatchery programs that are approved under the salmon and steelhead 4(d) rule (50 CFR 223.203(b)), and that the three HGMPs were submitted pursuant to NMFS' limit 6 of that 4(d) rule. This legal mechanism is cited in the context of the Skagit River chum hatchery submissions.
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