When: Wednesday, November 19, 2025, 11 AM–12 PM (Pacific)

What: In this Northwest RISCC paired researcher-practicioner webinar, Michele Buonanduci will present the findings of recent research into the impacts of forest and estuary management on the climate resilience of salmon in Washington’s Willapa basin, including the impacts of Spartina eradication. Chad Phillips will then provide details about Washington State Department of Agriculture’s Spartina management efforts.

Register here!

Talk descriptions:

“Willapa basin salmon responses to land management in the context of climate change” — Michele Buonanduci

As climate change alters freshwater, estuarine, and marine habitats, Pacific salmon need increasing levels of conservation action to maintain population health. Restoration is implemented within the broad-scale context of changing ocean conditions, yet we lack an understanding of the relative extent to which land-based actions can contribute to the resilience of salmon populations under climate change. We addressed this challenge using an integrated population model of chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) in the Willapa basin (southwest Washington, USA). We evaluated how chum population dynamics have varied with watershed-scale forest management, estuarine invasive species control efforts, and changing ocean conditions from 1984 to 2022. Overall, our findings illustrate the capacity for multiple conservation actions to contribute to salmon population health and suggest that watershed-scale forest management has the potential to bolster the persistence of salmon populations under climate change.

“Washington State’s Invasive Spartina Eradication Effort” — Chad Phillips

Spartina, commonly known as cordgrass, can disrupt the ecosystems of native saltwater estuaries. If left unchecked, Spartina outcompetes native vegetation and converts ecologically healthy mudflats and estuaries into solid Spartina meadows. As a result, important habitat for salmon, forage fish, invertebrates, shorebirds and waterfowl are lost, the threat of flooding is increased, and the state’s shellfish industry is negatively impacted. Since 1995, The Washington State Department of Agriculture has served as the lead state agency facilitating the cooperation of local, state, federal and tribal governments; universities; interested groups; and private landowners. The Spartina eradication effort has been highly effective — reducing infestations from a high of more than 9,000 solid acres in 2003 to 6.7 solid acres in 2024. 76 sites infested with Spartina have been successfully eradicated; however, significant work remains. The remaining infestations are distributed over 126 separate sites, meaning 62 percent of Washington’s 202 infestations are not yet eradicated. An emerging challenge is Spartina quickly spreading into and negatively impacting important salmon restoration projects in the North Puget Sound.