Protected Status for Salmon Rejected

The state Fish and Game Commission on Thursday declined to extend protection under the California Endangered Species Act to the Sacramento River spring run Chinook salmon, saying there was not evidence of imminent peril.

Once the most abundant type of wild salmon in California, the spring run population has fallen dramatically during the last half-century as a result of dams and water diversion projects.

However, a pronounced increase last year in the number of fish counted in one of four remaining spawning streams was cited by commission Chairman Doug McGeoghegan as reason enough to reject a petition to make the fish a candidate for the state endangered species list.

McGeoghegan also cited a multimillion-dollar effort by state and federal agencies in cooperation with many landowners to restore spring-run river habitat. Some opponents of the petition argued that increased regulation--which could come even if the fish were only a candidate for the endangered species list--would discourage property owners from continuing to participate in restoration efforts.