News & Views
California bill signed in effort to restore state’s native salmonid populations

AB 809–a bill to support the long-term monitoring of California’s native salmon and steelhead trout populations–has been signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom.

The bill was authored by Assemblymember Stephen Bennett and sponsored by CalTrout– an organization that helps restore and sustain vibrance and abundance in California’s freshwater ecosystems–alongside California Salmon and Steelhead Coalition, The Nature Conservancy and Trout Unlimited.

The California Monitoring Program (CMP) was established to observe and gather extensive data concerning endangered fish species such as Chinook salmon, coho salmon, and steelhead.

This bill will put CMP into statute, empowering CalTrout to continue the program’s operation and eliminate missing data gaps. The bill will also authorize the department to collaborate with local agencies, tribes, conservation organizations, and academic institutions in conducting monitoring activities as part of the program.

“Thank you to everyone who supported this bill as it made its way to the Governor’s desk, thank you to Assemblymember Bennett for authoring, and thank you to Governor Newsom for recognizing the importance of this bill for protecting California’s vulnerable native fish populations,” a statement from CalTrout reads.