Salmon State: Alaska

Together, Tim, Heather, and Lindsey strengthen Salmon State’s mission: defending rivers and salmon through policy advocacy, community engagement, and protection of critical watersheds across Alaska and its transboundary rivers.

As Executive Director based in Juneau, Alaska, Tim Bristol is a leading voice in salmon conservation policy. He has testified before the U.S. Senate Indian Affairs Committee, highlighting the urgent need to curb bycatch from large trawl fleets off Alaska and demanding stronger tribal co-management for rivers like the Arctic, Yukon, and Kuskokwim—calling salmon population crashes “a human rights crisis and an ecological disaster”. Under his leadership, SalmonState champions habitat protection and bycatch reduction, bringing Indigenous stewardship into fisheries management at both local and federal levels.

In her role as Salmon Beyond Borders Campaign Advisor, Heather Hardcastle leads cross-jurisdictional efforts to protect salmon ecosystems that transcend political boundaries. Based in Juneau, she coordinates with stakeholders across Alaska and Canada to ensure the health of transboundary rivers—such as the Taku—by advocating science-based policy and Indigenous-led watershed governance. Her work helps strengthen salmon runs that cross national borders, safeguarding migratory pathways essential to species survival.

A second-generation gillnet captain from Bristol Bay, Lindsey Bloom brings first-hand fishing experience and a background in sustainable development (M.A.) to her campaign strategy role. After more than a decade fishing, she now organizes Alaskans—particularly young fishermen—and collaborates with tribal, nonprofit, and business communities to protect salmon habitat and influence fisheries policy around rivers and coastal waters. She helped lead the grassroots movement opposing the Pebble mine in Bristol Bay, even addressing its importance during President Obama’s 2015 visit.

https://salmonstate.org/

Show notes:

00:05:16 - Connecting with Alaska's Natural Heritage

00:08:17 - Protecting Transboundary Rivers Together

00:11:36 - Impact of Mining on Wild Salmon

00:17:30 - Advocating for Wildlife and Wild Places

00:20:29 - Understanding Salmon Species

00:21:50 - Salmon's Unique Life Cycles

00:25:23 - Connection Between Fishing and Family

00:28:20 - Protecting Alaska's Salmon Habitat

00:31:24 - Protecting Alaska's Salmon Ecosystem

00:34:19 - Tim Bristol's Conservation Journey

00:36:45 - Protecting Southeast Alaska's Forests

00:39:09 - Salmon State: Protecting Alaska's Ecosystem

00:42:06 - Transboundary Rivers and Mining Issues

00:44:39 - Lessons from Salmon Resilience

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