Donna Darm
Assistant Regional Administrator

PROTECTED RESOURCES DIVISION
National Marine Fisheries Service
525 NE Oregon Street, Suite 500
Portland, OR 97232
(503) 230-5400

Located in Portland, Oregon, the Protected Resources Division (PRD) provides program oversight, and regional policy guidance on the conservation of at-risk anadromous, estuarine, and marine fishes in the NMFS Northwest Region. The PRD staff includes biologists, natural resource specialists, and policy analysts who work in conjunction with other NMFS programs to help administer provisions of the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA). In the past, this work has focused exclusively on imperiled West Coast stocks of salmon and steelhead; recently, however, NMFS is beginning to examine the status of several species of Puget Sound marine fishes. PRD's work includes:

• Assisting with species status reviews that determine the condition of the region’s salmon stocks and making recommendations on whether ESA listings are warranted;
• Evaluating the efficacy of conservation efforts aimed at protecting at-risk stocks and coordinating recovery programs that protect the listed species while stocks rebuild;
• Consulting with scientists on all research projects dealing with listed salmon stocks;
• Developing regional policies relating to NMFS’ ESA responsibilities; and
• Promoting education/outreach activities to enhance public understanding of salmon conservation issues.