This grantee update is courtesy of Patricia McCleary from the Smith River Alliance.
On July 18th, the Smith River Alliance and the Six Rivers National Forest secured permanent protection of 320 acres along the Siskiyou Fork of the Smith River for public recreation access and habitat protection.
The Siskiyou Fork is a tributary of the Middle Fork of the Smith, located about 10 miles upstream of the town of Gasquet, California. The project protects spawning and rearing habitat for salmon, steelhead, and Coastal cutthroat trout, which are Forest Service Sensitive Species. The project also provides new public access within the Smith River National Recreation Area.
The project is part of an eight-year campaign to add 5,300 acres to the Smith River National Recreation Area, known as the Hurdygurdy Project. With the completion of this phase, the total number of acres secured is 3,705. Hurdygurdy Creek is a significant spawning and rearing tributary for salmon and steelhead and it’s one of the most productive salmon streams in the Smith River National Recreation Area.
A special acknowledgement to our partners, including the American Rivers, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, California Sportfishing Protection Alliance, California Trout, California Wilderness Coalition, Del Norte County Fish and Game Advisory Commission, National Wildlife Federation, Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations, Salmon Restoration Federation, Save The Redwoods League, Sierra Club, The Conservation Alliance, The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, The Nature Conservancy, The Wilderness Society, Trout Unlimited, the Wild Salmon Center and individual supporters! www.smithriveralliance.org
