NOAA has denied Endangered Species Act protections to two chinook salmon populations in Oregon and California, dealing a blow to environmentalists who say it is necessary to stem the decline of fish populations that carry huge economic and cultural importance in the Pacific Northwest.
Based on “the best available scientific and commercial information,” the Oregon Coast and Southern Oregon Northern California Coast populations are not at risk of extinction, “nor are they likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future,” NOAA said in a Federal Register notice scheduled for publication Tuesday.
The decision reverses course from a Biden administration 2023 preliminary decision that found the species warranted the highest level of government protection, backing concerns that habitat destruction, such as by dams and other diversions, could be threatening the fish, which was in a 25-year population decline.
NOAA said its decision is final and will not be subject to public comment.
