2024 Annual Impact Report
The Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association (NSEA)
NSEA is a member of the Regional Fisheries Coalition that is comprised of 14 Regional Fisheries Enhancement Groups (RFEGs).
The Washington State Legislature created the Regional Fisheries Enhancement Group (RFEG) program in 1990 as a response to steadily declining salmon populations. Since then, the RFEG program has grown to be an essential component of salmon and steelhead recovery by focusing on Endangered Species Act (ESA) listed salmonids and providing education and outreach programs to promote good stewardship practices of salmon habitat. RFEGs work at the community level to engage citizen volunteers and private landowners in the state’s salmon enhancement efforts. RFEGs specialize in optimizing the efficient use of funding through collaboration on projects and continue to leverage public investments.
NSEA works under the direction of the co-managers of Washington fisheries: the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife and the Native nations (in our region, the Lummi Nation and Nooksack Indian Tribe) whose fishing rights were secured through treaties with the federal government in the 1850s.
NSEA recognizes and celebrates the Coast Salish Tribes, including but not limited to the Lummi Nation, Nooksack Indian Tribe, and Semiahmoo First Nation, as the original inhabitants and stewards of the mountains, wetlands, and waterways we now call Whatcom County. These communities have been connected to and cared for the Salish Sea basin from time immemorial, through our present day, and into the future time immeasurable.
We acknowledge that colonization is the reason we live on this unceded land and led to the depletion of native salmon populations and their habitat, which is why NSEA exists as an organization today. Through ongoing struggles caused by colonization, including the taking and destruction of land, resources, and culture, the Coast Salish Tribes have fought for the rights of their people and the land they are closely related to. They continue to be leaders in stewardship and restoration through Traditional Ecological Knowledge, land management, restoration science, and as co-managers of our fisheries.
This acknowledgment is not an action, but a call to action to work towards larger truth telling, reconciliation, and restoration between our communities and shared lands.
Dear Reader,
Thank you for being part of our caring and engaged community, and for taking action to keep wild salmon here in Whatcom County for future generations. Your volunteer efforts, shared ideas, and donations play a huge role in NSEA's successes. I invite you to look through the pages of this report for a close look at our program accomplishments with education, restoration, and stewardship. They are impressive. 2024 was another successful year for salmon recovery!
2024 was the year of strategic planning. The board and staff spent the entire past year gathering the community's input to formulate a strategic plan to guide us through 2025-2030. Throughout the year we canvassed you, our community, through meetings, focus groups, individual interviews, and a questionnaire. Thank you for sharing your wisdom, experience, creative visions, and questions. We were guided by your words. We appreciate the energy you put forward to support this process.
Organizationally, 2024 was a year of exciting growth and change for NSEA. Our board participated in leadership and development training with the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust. Our focus was on how we could more effectively accomplish work and collaborate to meet NSEA's future needs. This entailed two day-long training sessions and a board retreat. Frankly, we felt like a strong board going into the training. And we felt even stronger after we had completed it. One ah-ha moment for me was realizing how much we treasure the unique voice that each board member brings to the table. Each voice strengthens and empowers our board decision-making. Many voices can make one song.
NSEA's staff also spent the year focusing, in part, on cross training to help them work more effectively and cohesively. This approach is helping make our new sabbatical program a success by enabling staff to better support one another. It also has brought fresh eyes and ideas to everyone's work. Staff also focused on developing succession planning to ensure stability in the future.
At the end of 2024, after 16 years as Executive Director, we said goodbye to Rachel Vasak. We are so grateful for her contributions to help build this amazing organization. Our Interim Executive Director, effective January 1 st , 2025, is Annitra Peck. This transition needed a knowledgeable person to ensure program and project continuity, fiscal stability, and continued connection with the community. Annitra is well suited for this role. While supported by all staff, who play an important role in NSEA's current and future success, we have confidence in Annitra, and we are excited that NSEA is in good hands.
NSEA works hard, responsibly, and sustainably. We value and respect the views of others, and care about diversity in ecology and in society. By improving the environment for salmon survival, it is our goal to inspire hope for a better future. We so appreciate you are on this journey with us!
Gratefully, Rose Anne Featherston NSEA Board President
We meet our mission with every dollar spent
NSEA’s spending reveals a picture of flowing creeks, shady pools with spawning salmon, children learning, and an engaged community. Just as we make sure to plant a sapling where it can thrive, protect it from deer and beavers and monitor it to make sure it is growing, we also steward our funding with care and make sure we leverage our spending to have the biggest impact. NSEA chooses our projects and programs to create a better future, and we steward our funding to bring us there. Your support helps NSEA grow to meet the challenges ahead.
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CAMP KEYSTONE
Inspiring young explorers to connect with salmon, nature, and community.
Last summer, NSEA’s campus was filled with laughter, singing, and excitement as Camp Keystone celebrated its fourth year. Over nine weeks, three- to six-year-olds learned about salmon through fun, outdoor, place-based education. Each day began with a salmon circle featuring land acknowledgments, salmon yoga, and songs, teaching campers about salmon lifecycles and habitats while honoring the land’s Indigenous caretakers. By week’s end, campers could name all five Pacific salmon species and a few other species that rely on them.
Camp Keystone blends science with silliness to make learning fun!
Weekly field trips added adventure, with visits to Birch Bay State Park, Larrabee State Park, and Tenmile Creek. Campers explored nature, searched for salmon fry, stood by beaver dams, and played among tall trees, deepening their connection to the environment.
A key component of Camp Keystone is unstructured play – letting campers use their imaginations and play collaboratively while promoting key skills development.
As a licensed, outdoor nature-based program in Whatcom County, NSEA strives to increase accessibility by offering family subsidies and participating in the Early Achievers Program, which supports the social-emotional growth of young children. Families appreciated the experience, with one parent sharing, “Everyday my child came home and shared what they learned. I was amazed with how much he absorbed and could articulate to me. The topics were both fun and engaging plus cultural and place based. Thank you for such awareness in your program!”
Camp Keystone continues to inspire young children to play, grow, and explore outdoors while fostering a lifelong love for nature and a deeper understanding of salmon’s importance to our region.
Each week of camp is full of discovery while also learning about salmon and why they are so important.
CLIMETIME
Equipping educators to extend climate science learning beyond the classroom.
NSEA’s aim is to empower educators with the tools they need to engage their students in meaningful conversations about climate change, ultimately cultivating a generation of informed and environmentally conscious citizens. This year, Whatcom County educators participated in place-based professional development that incorporated Next Generation Science Standards, climate change education, and Indigenous Knowledge. These trainings were part of the ClimeTime initiative, supported by Wild Whatcom, Common Threads, RE Sources, Nooksack Indian Tribe, Northwest Educational Service District 189, and NSEA.
Pretending to be fishing fleets, teachers see how salmon populations are affected by natural and human-caused impacts.
A highlight of the workshops was teachers experiencing activities as their students would, gaining insight into implementing them in schools. Teachers simulated fishing fleets, practiced nature journaling, connected with native plants, and explored social-emotional lessons through nature. Following the workshops, educators provided outdoor learning experiences for over 400 Whatcom County students, demonstrating the program’s impact.
The results were inspiring: 100% of teachers reported increased confidence in teaching outdoors and integrating nature into lessons. Students participated in activities such as creating viewfinders to observe and draw nature, writing poems about seasonal patterns, and analyzing observations through graphs.
ClimeTime is made possible by partnerships between the local Educational Service District, Tribes, and community-based organizations.
FUTURE LEADERS OF WHATCOM WATERS
Building environmental careers while enhancing local watersheds.
NSEA’s Future Leaders of Whatcom Waters (FLOW) is a paid internship program focused on stream restoration, environmental education, and community outreach. This program provides participants with professional development and real-world experience while enabling NSEA to expand its on-the-ground work and improve stewardship and education programs. In 2024, 34 FLOW interns supported summer camps, work parties, and school field trips.
An intern teaching a volunteer about macroinvertebrates – bugs that are indicators of water quality – at Terrell Creek.
This year marked the launch of NSEA’s formal partnership with Western Washington University (WWU), linking academic learning to paid internships through a certificate program. Environmental Science and Environmental Studies majors completed six-month internships, first supporting the Nooksack River Stewards program in the summer, then assisting with fall programs. Upon completing class requirements at WWU, they will earn a Salmon Enhancement: Community Education Certificate or Salmon Enhancement: Habitat Restoration Certificate.
An intern connecting with volunteers restoring habitat at Macaulay Creek, an essential part of our mission to engage our community in salmon recovery.
While NSEA has long hired WWU students, this formalized program strengthens connections between academic training and career development. FLOW internships provide early career experiences for individuals exploring environmental restoration and education, helping them identify career paths.
An intern teaching students about water quality during a field trip to study the health of their local salmon habitat.
When surveyed, many fall cohort interns shared that their career interests evolved during the program. Most entered with a focus on environmental science and left inspired to combine science with community-based and outdoor education. Each year, FLOW interns gain valuable skills, contributing to NSEA’s mission while preparing to advance environmental work in the broader community.
STUDENTS FOR SALMON
Transforming fourth graders into salmon scientists and stream stewards.
The Students for Salmon (SFS) program transforms fourth graders into stream scientists to investigate the health of salmon habitat in their watershed. This three-part series is offered at no cost to schools, including a student-led restoration project and a Next Generation Science Standards-supported curriculum for teachers.
Students move between stations to learn about the connection between water quality, native plants, macroinvertebrates, and the health of local salmon habitat.
In 2024, 1,975 students from 84 classrooms participated, studying 16 local creeks and improving nearly three miles of riparian zones to benefit salmon habitat. Offered free to all fourth-grade students in Whatcom County, the program teaches about Pacific salmon, their habitat needs, and the importance of environmental stewardship.
Making a difference is an important part of every SFS field trip – this includes removing invasive plants to leave the habitat better for salmon.
Thanks to funding from the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), students from 18 schools also raised salmon from eggs to fry, releasing them into their study creeks. This hands-on experience deepened their connection between classroom learning, fieldwork, and salmon recovery efforts.
The program’s success lies in its immersive approach: NSEA-led programming, a teacher-facilitated curriculum, and raising salmon in classrooms. Students move from learning to action, gaining a sense of ownership over their local environment.
In 2024, Salmon in Schools expanded to include the Bellingham Public Library, featuring a community salmon release at Whatcom Creek.
As one teacher shared, “It taught my students a new respect for our salmon in the Pacific Northwest. The SFS curriculum is engaging and teacher-friendly. The students love being scientists, and the restoration project helps them feel like they’ve contributed something wonderful to their community and the future of salmon.”
Students for Salmon inspires environmental stewardship and fosters the next generation of watershed caretakers.
Rain or shine, many students' favorite part of the field trip is making a positive impact on their local creek.
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FISH PASSAGE PROJECTS
Improving access for fish and folks.
Restoration projects at NSEA support thriving salmon populations in Whatcom County. Removing fish passage barriers and improving access to upstream habitats benefits both fish populations and landowners. Habitat loss remains one of the leading causes of salmon decline, and barrier removal is crucial for their recovery. Landowners gain from these projects as well, as they often reduce flooding risks, replace failing infrastructure, and improve access with new crossings.
Before project plans can be drafted, restoration technicians assess the potential fish passage barrier.
A great example of this is the recent work on Pangborn Creek. A failing culvert that blocked fish migration was replaced with a 40’ x 14’ concrete bridge. The project, located in the middle of expansive blueberry fields, was complex due to poor soil conditions and the need to accommodate irrigation and power utilities. The peaty soil required NSEA to re-engineer the bridge foundation, leading to additional funding needs and project delays. Initially planned for 2022, the project was finally completed in 2024.
An equipment operator placing armoring for bridge foundations on Pangborn Creek after removing the failing culvert.
This crossing improvement supports salmon recovery by providing access to upstream habitats for coho salmon, steelhead trout, and resident trout documented in the creek. The new bridge also enhances landowner access and reduces maintenance issues caused by the previous failing culvert.
Restoration team members installing a foot bridge where a barrier culvert was removed, benefiting salmon while providing landowners better access to their property.
NSEA will conduct annual spawner surveys over the next three years to monitor fish presence upstream of the site. This project highlights the persistence and determination required to overcome obstacles in habitat restoration, ensuring long-term benefits for salmon and local communities alike.
LARGE WOODY DEBRIS INSTALLATIONS
Creating essential habitat for fish by supporting natural stream functions.
Installing Large Woody Debris (LWD) in stream channels provides shelter for fish, scours pools, aids sediment sorting, and controls erosion. We complement LWD installations with biodegradable erosion control fabric and native vegetation. Our ultimate goal is to see salmon and trout return as the improved habitat takes shape.
A restoration technician staking down biodegradable erosion control fabric to prevent disturbed soil from washing into the creek.
In 2024, we completed a culvert removal and daylighting project on a tributary to Silver Creek, incorporating LWD to enhance habitat and ecological functions. A 400-foot-long culvert buried beneath 20 feet of soil was removed, and we constructed a new channel, reconnecting the stream to a historic flow path. Spawning gravel, erosion control fabric, and LWD were added, along with riparian plantings using live stakes along the banks just above the high-water mark. These stakes not only anchor the erosion control fabric but will grow into plants that provide shade, filtration, bank stabilization, and habitat for wildlife.
A restoration technician installing live stakes through erosion control fabric to provide long term streambank stabilization.
Additional planting and fencing will be completed in spring of 2025, ensuring the plants aid the development of a healthy waterway. While this tributary currently has no documented fish presence, it is accessible to coho salmon, chum salmon, steelhead, and resident trout. We are optimistic that the new habitat, bolstered by LWD and riparian restoration, will help support these species and contribute to the recovery of salmon and trout populations in the region.
MONITORING
Improving management practices and ensuring project goals are met.
Monitoring is a crucial practice for any restoration program.
Monitoring provides vital data and insights that enable informed decision-making, track progress, ensure accountability, and identify areas for improvement. These efforts lead to better performance and proactive problem-solving.
A restoration technician toughing the elements to monitor plant survival at a restoration site.
To enhance monitoring efforts, NSEA continues to refine its data collection processes. In 2024, we completed a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) map of all project sites, documented plant growth progression through aerial drone photo points, and developed more efficient data collection methods. GIS is an essential tool for visualizing project locations, improving project management, tracking, and identifying restoration areas that benefit salmon and our community.
A restoration technician admiring the incredible growth of a three-year-old cottonwood.
A key priority for NSEA is tackling the challenges brought on by climate change. In 2019, NSEA launched a study to assess the survival rates of different conifer species with similar traits to western red cedar—such as size, lifespan, and shade production—while seeking those better suited to the warmer, drier climate predicted for this region. The test species include Alaska yellow cedar, incense cedar, coastal redwood, and giant sequoia, alongside western red cedar.
Restoration technicians measuring the height of a giant sequoia for NSEA's conifer study.
This 10-year study, now at its midpoint, aims to determine whether these alternative conifers can effectively support the ecological role of western red cedar in riparian habitats. After five years, one trend we are seeing is high survival rates in incense cedar (82%) and Alaska yellow cedar (76%) that are on par with western red cedar (76%) in young plantings. We are interested in observing how this trend develops as the plants continue to age.
Observing the growth of plants when returning to restoration sites gives us hope for the future.
Through ongoing monitoring and analysis, NSEA seeks to build resilience in local ecosystems and adapt to changing environmental conditions.
RIPARIAN PLANTING
Restoring streamside forests benefits watershed health long-term.
Restoring riparian corridors requires planning, patience, and a lot of hard work, as returning these streamside habitats to functioning buffers is crucial to salmon recovery in Whatcom County. A healthy forest of native trees and shrubs along a waterway increases the filtration of nutrients and pollution from runoff, stabilizes eroding streambanks, provides shade, shelter, and food for salmonids and other organisms, and can protect cropland and communities from flood damage.
NSEA partners with landowners to improve waterways on their property, benefiting both salmon and the landowner.
In 2024, NSEA started and maintained project sites on 23 waterways and started 11 new riparian projects on eight waterways in Whatcom County. Since NSEA’s inception we have restored riparian buffers on 63 creeks and tributaries. This feat could not be accomplished without community members, property owners, volunteers, and salmon recovery partners.
Planting native trees and shrubs along a creek is essential to providing cold, clean, and clear water for salmon.
A riparian planting project initiated last year (the slide photo shown here) stood out as a unique achievement made possible through a collaboration between partners, community members, and NSEA’s restoration and stewardship programs. Located on a Whatcom Land Trust property along California Creek, where it connects to Drayton Harbor, this project was funded by the Whatcom Conservation District using a new funding source from the Washington State Conservation Commission.
NSEA staff, partners, and volunteers gather to celebrate Orca Recovery Day by planting native vegetation.
In honor of Orca Recovery Day, we all joined forces to plant a 2.8-acre riparian forest along California Creek where it flows into Drayton Harbor. This habitat will support Chinook salmon, the primary food source for southern resident orcas, along with coho salmon, chum salmon, steelhead, bull trout, and numerous other wildlife species. The power of collaboration is immeasurable, and we are deeply grateful for the collective impact our community has on salmon recovery.
Healthy salmon populations support thriving oceans, rivers, forests, and communities in the Pacific Northwest.
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NOOKSACK RIVER STEWARDS
Bringing recreators and salmon together through two decades of conservation and education efforts.
For nearly 20 years, the Nooksack River Stewards program has supported monitoring and education in areas where freshwater salmon habitat and recreation overlap during the summer.
Two interns leading a guided river walk along the North Fork Nooksack River.
In 2024, the program continued its efforts in the North Fork Nooksack River, in partnership with the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, and along the South Fork Nooksack River (SFNR), where low flows and high temperatures threaten the recovery of ESA-listed Chinook salmon.
River stewards finding a massive Chinook carcass in the South Fork Nooksack River.
The Nooksack River Stewards program has been NSEA's most varied initiative, engaging the community in many ways, such as weekly guided river walks, salmon story-times, and community outreach through tabling and surveys. During one particular story-time with the Deming Library over 30 folks listened to a story about a salmon while creating a bracelet that represents the different stages of a salmon lifecycle.
Interns analyzing dissolved oxygen levels in the South Fork Nooksack River.
The program also hosted a guided river walk on the South Fork Nooksack River with the Whatcom Family & Community Network, culminating in water quality experiments. Additionally, we adopted a section of Mosquito Lake Road that parallels the South Fork and hosted two volunteer events focused on picking up litter along the road and nearby riverbanks. Twenty volunteers collected around 90 gallons of trash! Overall NSEA engaged over 1,000 community members in understanding the landscape of the Nooksack River and minimizing environmental impacts while recreating near the water in 2024.
Volunteers picking up litter along Mosquito Lake Road in Acme, Washington.
In its 20-year history, the Nooksack River Stewards program reached nearly 45,000 people and has played a vital role in educating the public on the importance of preserving the river and its salmon populations. Moving forward key components like salmon sightings, litter pickups, and outreach were integrated into other NSEA programs.
SALMON SIGHTING EVENTS
Celebrating salmon's return: a fall tradition in the Pacific Northwest.
As the crisp air and falling leaves signal the arrival of fall in the Pacific Northwest, local creeks and rivers come alive with the vibrant reds and greens of spawning salmon making their way upstream.
For NSEA, this season is filled with excitement as we invite the community to celebrate these resilient fish returning to their natal streams to spawn the next generation. From September to November, we set up outreach and education booths at accessible viewing spots along the streams, giving people the opportunity to witness the migration up close.
Community members watching spawning chum salmon as they swim upstream in Oyster Creek.
Our goal at these events is to provide engaging, hands-on education that leaves everyone, no matter their prior knowledge of salmon in Whatcom County, with something new to take away. In a recent survey of 259 participants, 98% reported gaining new knowledge.
Community members modeling their salmon glasses while looking for salmon in Whatcom Creek.
Every year, we meet people who return to witness salmon migrating, and folks who are experiencing it for the first time. These moments are some of the most inspiring for our staff, as we get to directly show the community the iconic species we work so hard to protect. We watch as the power and perseverance of the salmon resonate with onlookers as they learn about the challenges these incredible fish face throughout their lives.
SALMON SPOTTERS
Expanding salmon migration monitoring with the help of citizen scientists.
Salmon Spotters is a citizen science program that aims to increase our understanding of local salmon migration and creek use. In its second season, the program relies on community volunteers to gather data about when and where salmon return to spawn. By participating, spotters gain a deeper understanding of the different salmon species in Whatcom County while connecting more with the natural world around them.
A family of volunteers looking for salmon in Little Andy Creek.
Riparian zones, the lush areas surrounding creeks and rivers, are some of the most biodiverse habitats globally. In our region, these zones support not only salmon but also mammals, birds, and amphibians. This year, volunteer numbers more than doubled, and they monitored 30 sites along 18 creeks. Among the volunteers, we had a mix of new participants and those returning for a second season.
A fat racoon spotted feasting on salmon.
One of the most exciting results this year was the successful spotting of salmon in three creeks that showed no activity in the previous season. Coho salmon were spotted in Schell Creek in Ferndale, a small tributary of Anderson Creek in Bellingham, and large numbers of chum salmon were seen in Padden Creek. Thanks to our volunteers, we were able to confirm the return of salmon to these creeks for spawning.
Jumping coho salmon in Whatcom Creek.
A spotter shared, “It will never get old seeing the first salmon of the year in the creek and then all that follow. It’s something I look forward to every year. Count me in for next year!”
The program has provided invaluable insights into our local salmon populations, and we’re excited to continue this work in the future.
Volunteers taking a cute selfie while spotting salmon on a rainy day.
STREAM STEWARDS
Engaging communities in watershed restoration through volunteer work parties.
Since its inception in 1999, NSEA's Stream Stewards program has empowered citizens to enhance their local watersheds through hands-on salmon recovery efforts in Whatcom County. Volunteer work parties are one of the core pillars of NSEA’s mission, offering a longstanding opportunity for community members to take action in salmon habitat restoration.
Volunteers planting native vegetation along the Nooksack River in celebration of Earth Day.
In 2024, over 1,400 volunteers engaged in a range of activities, such as planting trees and shrubs, removing invasive species, spreading mulch, and maintaining older restoration sites. The program balances working on new sites with returning to established areas, ensuring continued progress on long-term environmental goals.
A volunteer removing cages from trees along Fishtrap Creek.
Volunteers, whether newcomers or seasoned participants, join forces each week to restore critical habitats. Through the Stewardship Appreciation Program, NSEA recognizes volunteers who attend three or more restoration events within a year, with over 100 volunteers achieving this milestone.
Mulch being spread over a recently cleared blackberry patch.
Every event is unique, with its own history, challenges, and triumphs, from the land's past use to the tasks completed on the day. Collectively, these events embody the Stream Stewards program’s mission: offering people in the community a chance to connect with nature, meet like-minded individuals, and contribute to the restoration of streamside ecosystems for salmon and other wildlife. These volunteer efforts are vital for enhancing salmon habitats, ensuring healthier watersheds, and fostering a lasting environmental legacy in Whatcom County.
Volunteers posing with their freshly potted plants.
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