Over the past decade, nearly all relevant analyses and reporting in the news media have stressed the costs that salmon recovery would impose on the economy. By ignoring the potential economic benefits of salmon recovery, and inflating the potential costs, these reports have induced many political leaders and residents to conclude that taking the steps ecologists say are needed to rebuild healthy salmon populations would have a "devastating" impact on the economy.

This website is an attempt by economists at ECONorthwest to promote a more balanced and realistic understanding of how salmon-conservation measures would affect the regional and local economies of the Pacific Northwest. Our primary aim is to provide a clearinghouse for recent economic reports that address one or more of these objectives:

• Establish standards for analyses of the economic consequences of salmon-recovery proposals.
• Clarify the economic benefits, as well as costs, that may accompany salmon recovery.
• Explain the economic forces, institutions, and policies that affect salmon populations.
• Describe opportunities to enhance the economic and community benefits of salmon conservation.

We also offer a description of, and links to, some of the government documents and scientific papers, as well as some of the organizations and agencies that we see playing major roles in shaping salmon-conservation decisions. The website is a constant work-in-progress, and we want it to be as useful as possible to economists, resource-managers, students, and the general public. Hence, although we want to avoid having things become too cumbersome, we welcome suggestions for additions to our listings. If you want to nominate a new listing, please contact the website manager. Also, please contact us if you have a question regarding this website or encounter problems with a link.