Siuslaw (USA) – Sakhalin Island (Russia)

Winner of the 2004 International Thiess Riverprize, the Siuslaw Basin Partnership from Oregon, USA, twins with Sakhalin Island in Russia. Its central mission is to restore, protect and manage salmon habitat, the ecosystems and the livelihoods of the people.

Through the twinning project they have begun the journey to create enduring benefits for people and salmon throughout the two regions. The project has recently joined up with the Wild Salmon Centre of Portland, Oregon, a peak organisation working to restore salmon habitat in Russia.

View a video clip on the Siuslaw-Sakhalin twinning

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Achievements

In 2006 The Wild Salmon Centre in association with Russian partners launched the Sakhalin Salmon Initiative to promote conservation and sustainable use of wild salmon and salmon ecosystems. In early 2007 the Dzhimdan River in northeastern Sakhalin was chosen as location for the pilot project. Sakhalin Energy Investment Company (SEIC) has been identified as main implementing partner and the Sakhalin Institute for Fisheries and Oceanography was contracted to do preliminary watershed analysis.

In June 2007 the US Forest Service and Wild Salmon Center representatives gave a restoration seminar to present a watershed assessment to Sakhalin Island authorities and communities to build local government support for the project. A month later results of the preliminary watershed analysis were provided to SEIC with recommendations for projects: post-wildfire re-vegetation and road/bridge restoration. Educational workshops with schools on Sakhalin Island and in Oregon, USA, linked students through interactive blogs and websites and provided teachers with curriculum.

For further information, visit the Siuslaw Institute’s website