For the first time in four years, salmon will return to the fire at the Yurok Tribe’s Salmon Festival on Saturday, restoring a centerpiece of the event that many community members say defines the day as much as the parade, the vendors or the tournaments. … This summer, with a limited harvest and signs of recovery on the river, the tribe can bring salmon back to the menu. Festival co‑organizer Maya Mace said the return carries cultural weight after years of closures and the 2024 removal of four Klamath River dams. … Salmon fishing reopened this year on a restricted basis, ending a three‑year closure triggered by record‑low runs on two of California’s largest salmon-producing rivers, the Klamath and Sacramento. The tribe’s quota remains tightly restricted under Pacific Fishery Management Council rules. Still, even a modest harvest is enough to restore a tradition that many consider central to the festival’s identity.

Other habitat and species restoration news:

• The Wildlife Society: Blog: Marsh restoration boosts bird diversity
• Summit Daily (Colo.): A look at the ‘transformative’ effect beavers have had on a Colorado testing ground for regenerative agriculture​