The decline of fish species is a regional problem that extends well beyond Clark County. Because watersheds and fish cross government and political boundaries, Clark County is just one of the local governments involved in these listings. For that reason, Clark County's local recovery plan will be coordinated with the goals and objectives of the Lower Columbia Fish Recovery Board (LCFRB), a regional entity established by the state legislature in 1998. The LCFRB is a group of 15 volunteers that includes a commissioner from each affected Washington county (Clark, Cowlitz, Lewis, Skamania, and Wahkiakum), as well as representatives of cities, tribes, state lawmakers, hydroelectric utilities, small timber owners, property rights advocates, and environmentalists. They will continue to research the problem and coordinate recovery efforts across the region.
The LCFRB has no legal power to override local county commissioners. With members from each county, however, it can provide a big-picture strategy to identify and coordinate ways to restore fish populations.
