Healthy and Diverse Wild Salmon Populations

The Pacific Northwest has a large variety of different fish and wildlife populations and their habitats. These resources have been threatened in recent years by significant human impact. It is vitally important that we continue to find new ways to maintain healthy, naturally-occurring wild salmon populations and healthy habitats. The Pacific Northwest Salmon Center will strive to provide a place for education, interpretation, and discussion forums about wild salmon and ecosystem health. The Pacific Northwest Salmon Center will become a focal point for illustrating the biological, cultural, spiritual, and economic facets of the salmon story, from the ancient to the present.

Education

The Pacific Northwest Salmon Center is envisioned as a comprehensive research and learning center which values service through high quality education. The center will be distinctive in serving the diverse people of the Pacific Northwest. It will feature an enriched learning environment operated year-round. The identity of the PNWSC will be framed by substantive commitment to salmon and related ecosystem learning. The PNWSC will be a collaborative, intellectual resource distinguished by partnerships with existing institutions both public and private, cooperative agreements which enable students, faculty, and staff to cross institutional boundaries for innovative instruction, broadly defined scholarly and creative activity, and coordinated community service.

The Center promotes the creation, maintenance, and enhancement of a learning society, encouraging its members to work with educators, government officials, and organizations in coalitions to initiate and support comprehensive community based efforts to ensure that school, public, and academic entities promote the welfare of wild salmon in every community as they cooperate to provide lifelong learning services to all.

The PNWSC will foster partnerships with other organizations and consortiums that promote educational access and excellence for all stakeholders in the Pacific Northwest.

Science

Science is our most important tool and implementation of science is the focus of the PNWSC. The Center will instill confidence in its ability to develop, gather, and deliver the best science into the hands of those who affect wild salmon, and their habitats.

The PNWSC will provide leadership in using the best applied science as the foundation for policy and management decisions that affect wild salmon and their habitats.

The PNWSC is committed to working with people to find solutions that work. We recognize the importance of integrating good science with consistent values and intergovernmental/ citizen-based groups' decisions.

Interpretation

The PNWSC will become the Northwest's leader for salmon interpretation projects. To fulfill this responsibility, the PNWSC will develop a salmon interpretive pilot project using the Hood Canal experience as the test case. The theme, still under development, has the mission of educating the public on the importance of salmon to the region's culture, environment and economy, including:

• The economic value of the annual harvest
• The importance of salmon to the Native American people
• The function of large woody debris
• The role salmon carcasses play in distributing nutrients throughout the watershed
• The need for clean, silt-free spawning gravel
• The requirements for properly designed culverts

The interpretive pilot project will use a variety of approaches to include an interpretive trail; historical photographs depicting the salmon harvest, and a Native American legend that tells the story of salmon.

Excellence in Professional Services

The PNWSC is committed to achieving very high professional standards and providing quality professional service. Every PNWSC employee will provide excellent service to the public, other stakeholders as well as internally to other Center employees. Excellent service includes respectful, professional and timely responses to those requesting service or information.

Citizen Assistance in Accomplishing the Center's Mission

The PNWSC recognizes it cannot be successful alone. The health of the Pacific Northwest's wild salmon and wildlife populations will require strong partnerships, collaborative approaches and effective communication. The Center will foster an "open arms", collaborative approach with existing and emerging organizations of like mind both public and private.

Employees and a Safe, Healthy Work Environment

Employees are the PNWSC's greatest asset and the development of future leaders is critical to our success. The Center is committed to provide employees with the training and tools for them to be effective and efficient in their jobs.

A safe and healthy working environment is critical for our employees being able to accomplish our mission. The PNWSC is committed to maintaining a work environment where we treat each other with honesty, dignity and respect. We value the diverse contributions of all people, regardless of their position, sexual preference, family status, age, race, sex, disability, religion or national origin. All employment practices are based on ability and performance.

All employees have the right to work in, and the PNWSC is committed to, an environment free from harassment and discrimination, where privacy and dignity are respected and all are protected from offensive, obscene or threatening behavior. The PNWSC will not tolerate sexual advances, actions, comments, inappropriate physical contact or any other conduct that is intimidating or otherwise creates an offensive or hostile work environment.