Posts by J Michelle Swope

Volunteer Opportunity: White Salmon Spawning Surveys

Native Fish Society is conducting a multi-year survey project to better tell the story of what is happening with our wild Steelhead and Coho after the removal of a dam that didn't allow fish...

Washington State Legislative Session Wrap Up

The Washington State Legislative long session ended on April 23rd. Native Fish Society joined Trout Unlimited’s Washington State Advocacy Committee and volunteers to meet with legislators and ask...

Clean-Up on the Kalama

As wild runs continue to decline and emergency rules around fishing closures are becoming commonplace, Native Fish Society endeavors to facilitate meaningful ways for local stewards to have...

Washington State Closes Coastal Steelhead Fisheries March 1st.

“ It looks like our horrible forecast was optimistic.” Kelly Susewind, Director, Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife Yesterday, WDFW announced a full closure to all sport fishing throughout...

Wild Steelhead Story - Steve Kyle

When I was about seven years old, my father surprised me with my first fishing rod, a stout little piece of dark amber-colored fiberglass with an attached shiny reel. After showing me how it worked...

Washington Coastal Steelhead Need Your Voice!

Washington State Fish and Wildlife will hold their third Town Hall meeting (out of four) next Tuesday, November 9th, at 5 pm, and you need to listen in. More than that, you need to weigh...

Columbia Steelhead in Crisis: Leadership & Loss on the Deschutes

NFS River Steward Jeff Hickman, the owner and head guide of Fish the Swing, a highly respected fly fishing outfitter based in Oregon, recently announced that he is canceling his entire season of...

The Future of Steelhead in Puget Sound

This is our response to the WDFW led QuickSilver portfolio report, a plan presented to enable the recovery of Steelhead in Puget Sound. Please read our detailed concerns with the plan, and please...

Legalize Sustainable Fishing on the Lower Columbia River!

Sign the Petition! Tell the Director of WDFW to Legalize Sustainable Commercial Fishing in the lower Columbia River Our friends at Wild Fish Conservancy are delivering this important petition on...

Washington Gene Bank Project Begins!

Native Fish Society volunteers kicked off a multi-year project on the White Salmon River last weekend! Native Fish Society is beginning a project that will tell the story of what is happening with...

Continued Declines Lead to New Angling Restrictions for the Olympic Peninsula Winter Steelhead Season

Yesterday, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife released new angling restrictions for the Olympic Peninsula Winter Steelhead season. The goal of these changes is to increase the number of...

Bull Trout eDNA Lunch and Learn

Native Fish Society will be hosting a lunch and learn featuring Bull Trout eDNA testing with River Steward Jodi Wilmoth on Thursday October, 29th at 12:00pm - 12:45pm. The presentation will be 25...

We Stand With our Allies for a free flowing Chehalis River!

The 2019 NFS Gathering: A Weekend of Community and Wild Fish

This September, Native Fish Society brought our staff, volunteers, supporters, and conservation partners together for a weekend of community building, learning, and fun. Converging on the emerald...

Western Washington Update

Greetings from your Washington Regional Coordinator! Here is a progress report on our Western Washington program, the ongoing issues we are working on, and our programmatic successes! New...

River Steward Stories: Alex Bradberry

In this second installment of River Stories, we catch up with new River Steward, Alex Bradberry. Alex owns Waters West Fly Shop in Port Angeles, WA. Alex is nothing if not determined. When she...

An Introduction to River Steward Stories

What many people don’t realize is that by and large, America’s most significant conservation victories start with a small group of concerned locals determined to make a difference. That’s why...

​The Chehalis River Dam Proposal…Our Wild Fish need your Help!