Endangered species act protection for Oregon coast coho?

On October 9th U.S. District Judge Garr King adopted a ruling of Magistrate Judge Janice Stewart that could lead to Endangered Species Act protection for Oregon coast coho salmon, the only one of 27 salmon and steelhead populations in the Pacific Northwest and California that is not listed.

The decision to withhold endangered species protections from the coho was based on Oregon's viability analysis which states that “coho populations are inherently resilient at low abundance.”

In rejecting that analysis, the court cited extensive scientific critiques of that theory from government scientists, who said that it was unreliable and failed to pass the “red-face test.” The court ruled that the new theory did not represent the “best available science” as required by law.

Judge Garr King's decision does not automatically reinstate ESA protection for the salmon.¹ His order requires that the Threatened status of the coho be reviewed and that a new listing decision be made in 60 days.

Read more details in the story at Environment News Service.

¹The coho was originally listed under the ESA in August, 1998, in response to a petition filed in October, 1993. Protections were removed in January, 2006.(timeline from NOAA)