Where We Work
From Cape Flattery in the North to Cape Disapointment in the South, including all waters that drain directly into the Pacific Ocean, the Washington Coast Salmon Recovery Region spans nearly 4 million acres. Our coastal rivers produce the most abundant and diverse wild Pacific salmon populations in the continugous United States, and are home for 50% of Washington State’s strongest unlisted runs.
Our Lead Entities
Quinault Indian Nation Lead Entity
The Quinault Indian Nation Lead Entity coordinates salmon habitat restoration in Water Resource Inventory Area (WRIA) 21, which runs along the Pacific Coast of the Olympic Peninsula and encompasses 755,674 acres. The area includes the Copalis, Clearwater, Moclips, Queets, Quinault, and Raft river watersheds as well as a dozen smaller tributaries.
North Pacific Coast Lead Entity
The North Pacific Coast Lead Entity is comprised of Watershed Resource Inventory Area (WRIA) 20. The area encompasses 935,250 acres that drain into the Pacific Ocean and more than 80 miles of coastline from Cape Flattery south to the Steamboat Creek drainage of the Hoh River basin.
Chehalis Basin Lead Entity
The Chehalis Basin Lead Entity is comprised of Watershed Resource Inventory Areas (WRIA) 22 and 23. The Chehalis Reiver basin is the second largest watershed in the state. Within the 2,600 square miles that make up the basin, there are more than 3,300 miles of rivers and streams. The Chehalis River starts in the Willapa Hills and flows downstream to the Grays Harbor estuary and the Pacific Ocean
Willapa Bay Lead Entity
The Willapa Bay Lead Entity’s encompasses Water Resource Inventory Area (WRIA) 24. It’s primary watershed is the Willapa basin, which covers more than 1,000 square miles and includes the Willapa Bay Estuary with over 270 miles of shoreline. In total, there are roughly 745 streams encompassing over 1,470 linear stream miles in the basin.
Our Board of Directors
We are led by a dedicated Board of Directors from tribes, counties, organizations, and communities of the Washington Coast region. Representatives from each of the four Lead Entities are:
North Pacific Coast Lead Entity
- Julie Ann Koehlinger, Hoh Tribe
- Katie Krueger, Citizen
- Rich Osborne, Citizen
- Tami Pokorny, Jefferson County
- Caroline Walls, Quileute Tribe
Quinault Indian Nation Lead Entity
- Dave Bingaman , QIN DNR (alternate)
Chehalis Basin Lead Entity
- Kirsten Harma, Coordinator
- Tara Livingood-Schott, Chehalis Tribe
- Kevin Pine, Grays Harbor County
Willapa Bay Lead Entity
- Tom Kollasch, Coordinator
- Key McMurry, Key Environmental
- Mike Nordin, Pacific & Grays CD
Our Staff
Mara Zimmerman
Executive Director
Dr. Zimmerman joined the Coast Salmon Partnership in January of 2019. Her career has been dedicated to the study and conservation of fish and their habitats. She holds a Ph.D. in biology from the University of Michigan and has previously worked in natural resource management in North Carolina, Michigan, and Washington states. At the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Mara worked to bring the best available science to large-scale habitat restoration projects, fisheries management, and salmon monitoring programs throughout western Washington. She feels very fortunate to focus on the fishes and rivers of the Washington coast and enjoys working with local partners towards a future of sustainable and healthy salmon. Outside of work, she returns to the rivers and mountains where she enjoys fishing, hiking, backpacking, and photography.
mara@coastsalmonpartnership.org
360.764.6728
Program Director
Ned Pittman joined the Coast Salmon Partnership in May 2019. Born and raised in Washington State, he has a deep connection with the landscape, the people, and the fish and wildlife that makes this place so special. He holds both a BS (2000) and MES (2018) from the Evergreen State College with focus on salmonid ecology, fluvial geomorphology, and restoration ecology. As a field biologist at the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife for the past 19 years, Ned coordinated/led stream habitat and restoration project monitoring efforts for much of that time. When not working, he enjoys a variety of outdoor activities and spending time with his partner and their four dogs.
ned@coastsalmonpartnership.org
360.791.6191
Christa Bale
Administrative Assistant
Christa Bale joined the Coast Salmon Partnership in April of 2019. Being a lifetime resident of the Pacific Northwest, she has a deep apprecation for the beauty of our coastal mountains, forests, and watersheds. Christa earned a degree in Computer Technology from Grays Harbor College and has experience working in the technical support field. In her spare time, she enjoys boating and canoeing, working in her garden, and spending time outdoors with family and friends.
christa@coastsalmonpartnership.org
360.532.9113
Alex Bradberry
Outreach Director
Alex Bradberry joined the Coast Salmon Partnership in January of 2023 after spending over two years serving on the Coast Salmon Foundation Board as vice chair. She has spent years working in the fly fishing industry, both as a small business owner in Port Angeles as well as a sport fishing guide in remote western Alaska. She studied hospitality and tourism at Cal Poly Pomona (2011), and later wildlife biology at West Valley College (2015). She maintains close ties to the Olympic Peninsula in addition to parts of Alaska, and balances her time between both. In her spare time, she is found fly fishing, hiking, gardening, or baking.
alex@coastsalmonpartnership.org
360.532.9113
Washington Sea Grant Hershman Fellow
Grace Adams joined the Coast Salmon Partnership as a Washington Sea Grant Hershman fellow in September 2022. Following a childhood spent in Kansas City and attending college in Chicago, Grace ventured west to pursue a Masters in Public Administration with a specialization in Environmental Policy from the Evans School of Public Policy and Governance at the University of Washington. While at Evans, she gained experience in creative communication strategies and analyzing natural resource management regulations and policies. Over the years Grace has developed a passion for ecosystem stewardship and restoration and is excited to aid in the implementation of the Climate Adaptation Framework. In her free time, Grace enjoys reading, painting, taking care of her cat and plants, and spending time outdoors with her partner.
grace@coastsalmonpartnership.org
360.532.9113
Employment
The Coast Salmon Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization in Washington State with programmatic activities on the outer Washington Coast. The home office is located in Aberdeen, Washington.
There are no job opening at this time.
