Yakima Basin Fish and Wildlife Recovery Board

08/28/2026

The Recovery Board Newsletter - August Highlights - https://mailchi.mp/74ea06f44ac5/august2026-17471807

08/10/2026

We have our 2026 SRFB project rankings!

Our Citizen Committee (pictured) met in late July and finalized the ranked project lists for each of our three SRFB grant programs. Then our Board of Directors approved the lists at our Annual Meeting on August 5th. This concludes our local review process. A big thank you to all of our project sponsors, TAG, CC, and Board of Directors for their hard work.

Next, we will present the ranked lists to the Salmon Recovery Funding Board in Olympia on September 16th. We are submitting 9 projects for funding totaling $10.3M of investment in salmon recovery in our basin. We look forward to the state approving our ranked lists and awarding funding—stay tuned!

The ranked lists:https://ybfwrb.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/2026-Yakima-Basin-Project-Ranking-FINAL.pdf

Project details can be found via our website: https://ybfwrb.org/2026-srfb-grant-round/

07/31/2026

Last chance to RSVP for our Annual meeting on Wednesday!

07/24/2026

The Recovery Board Newsletter - July Highlights - https://mailchi.mp/8f940a880ded/the-recovery-board-newsletter-july-highlights

07/22/2026

Our mid-year quarterly progress report on SRFB-funded Yakima Basin projects is now available. This contains updates on 2025 projects that are now underway, including our first SRFB monitoring project, WDFW's Yakima River Mobile PIT Tag Detection Surveys project (surveying raft pictured!).

Find the report here: https://ybfwrb.org/grant-program/projects-in-progress/

Photo credit Nick Mankus (WDFW)

06/30/2026

Looking forward to this event!

It's that time of year!!

Please join us Friday, July 17, 2026, for our annual Levi George Supplementation and Research Facility Salmon Bake & Open House!

•The self guided tour starts at 10AM with lunch served at noon.
• Guests are welcome to bring a side dish.
• Location: 800 Spring Chinook Way, Cle Elum, WA
• Contact: [email protected]
Please see flyer for more information.

06/29/2026

Final project applications for 2026 are in! (If you know one of our applicants, give them a high five, or maybe a hug--it's a big lift.)

Our Citizen Committee is responsible for ranking the projects for funding. They will hold their project evaluation meeting on Wednesday, July 29th, from 9 am to 5 pm.

A public comment period will be available at the beginning of the meeting. Learn more about this year's projects here: https://ybfwrb.org/2026-srfb-grant-round/

Learn more about giving a public comment here: https://ybfwrb.org/06/2026-srfb-grant-round-citizen-committee-evaluation-meeting/

We look forward to sharing our final ranked lists in August!

05/21/2026

We are excited to announce the 2026 Yakama Nation Willamette Falls Lamprey Celebration. The event will take place on Thursday, June 25, from 10:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at Clackamette Park in Oregon City, OR.

We gather to honor Asum (Pacific Lamprey), one of our sacred first foods. The celebration is held near Willamette Falls—derived from our traditional Sahaptin name, Wilumpt—to honor our ancestors who have harvested at these falls since time immemorial. We also recognize the past leaders who fought to retain our harvest rights and the tribal members who continue this traditional practice today.

The celebration will include cultural dance performances; speakers from our tribal leaders and guests; a boat tour to Willamette Falls as well as a complimentary salmon & lamprey meal!

*Please scan the QR code on our flyer to RSVP for a meal ticket or visit https://yakama-lamprey-celebration-2026.eventbrite.com

05/21/2026

05/21/2026

If it feels like there are a lot of invasive species, you’re not wrong.

So how do we decide which ones need attention right now? Just like any to-do list, we use a system to prioritize species and resources available based on the following:

• Which ones cause the most damage

• Which ones are most likely to spread

• Which ones can be prevented

Then we evaluate each species based on many factors and organize them from the biggest threat to the ones we need to keep an eye on. With so many species out there, prioritizing helps agencies and partners focus their time, funding, and responses where it can make the biggest difference.

And that’s where you come in! Your reports help us spot new priorities BEFORE they move up that to-do list for all the wrong reasons. See something unusual? Snap a photo and report it: https://invasivespecies.wa.gov/report-a-sighting/

*Photos courtesy of Hannes Lemme, Bavarian State Research Center for Agriculture, Bugwood.org (spongy moth); Leslie J. Mehrhoff, University of Connecticut, Bugwood.org (flowering rush); Richard Bartz (feral swine); and WDFW (European green crab)