Tricia Parker

Tricia Parker grew up in the Bay area of California. After spending a lot of time in Point Reyes and summers in Alaska, she decided to pursue a career in biology. Tricia completed her undergraduate work at UC Davis and got a masters from Humboldt State University. Jim Smith has worked in the Sacramento valley since 1983, working with salmon and steelhead and on habitat restoration. He has seen the Red Bluff US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) office change over that time, growing from a small office of 3-4 people to a team of over 80 people. In his spare time, he enjoys bass fishing and running marathons. Join in as Tricia and Jim talk about the role that USFWS plays in monitoring the health of our streams. Learn about the different interests various stakeholders and local governments have in the different projects the agency oversees. Hear the different challenges that USFWS has, in particular since they are not the regulatory agency for anadromous fish, and have to rely on partnerships with NOAA. Also hear about different projects that have been accomplished, such as replacing a fish ladder from the 1940s, and projects that are in the pipeline. Much of these projects are a result of the Central Valley Project Improvement Act (CVPIA) which came about due to Spring Run Chinook Salmon becoming listed on the Endangered Species Act. Jim and Tricia discuss the challenges of determining which strategies are helping salmon populations, due to the cyclical nature of their populations. Stick around for some interesting tidbits, such as where you can find salmon friendly wine, and why Pikeminnows are difficult to study. For more info on USFWS in Red Bluff, check out the agency website.