The need for this work was identified by the bull trout experts! The Bull Trout Working Group was formed in 2002. It is comprised of partners and experts working to conserve bull trout in the Yakima Basin. In 2012, the Bull Trout Working Group developed the Bull Trout Action Plan, which identified actions to sustain all of the populations in the Yakima Basin. These actions were reviewed and updated in 2017. In 2015, the US Fish and Wildlife Service developed the Bull Trout Recovery Plan. The group uses these documents, plus a wealth of on-the-ground experience, to guide their work.
At the top of the priority list are the three populations in the upper Yakima Basin: Gold Creek, upper Kachess River, and Box Canyon. These special places are most critical for bull trout because their numbers are the lowest and they are close to disappearing forever. We are currently working in all three places to find sustainable ways to keep bull trout alive.