The Council thanks Rich Lincoln for his three terms of service as a Council member, and welcomes Butch Smith in the Washington obligatory seat, effective August 11.
Butch Smith is a third-generation salmon and sturgeon fishing guide whose family owns and operates Coho Charters in Ilwaco. He is a longtime advocate for salmon and salmon enhancement on the Columbia River. Butch has served on the Council’s Salmon Advisory Subpanel as the Washington Charter representative since 2002 and has been its Chair since 2007. He fills the seat held by Rich Lincoln, who is completing his third term. Lincoln has over 40 years of experience in fisheries research, management and policy in the North Pacific and working on global fisheries sustainability. Rich will continue to serve on the Council’s Ad Hoc Climate and Communities Core Team as they help the Council develop scenarios to help plan for the potential effects of climate change on west coast communities.