Indirectly and directly, improving salmon habitat is one of the
primary goals of a large amount of regulatory activity in the
Northwest. Directly, impacts to salmon habitat can trigger
consultations under the Endangered Species Act that lead to
mitigation requirements. Indirectly, improvements to salmon
habitat can be used to meet water quality requirements. There is
currently no active market for salmon credits in Oregon, but
there are several entities with large, but nebulously defined
mitigation needs. The salmon currency provides a metric and
protocol for enhancing or restoring in and near-stream habitat
to generate credits. Counting on the Environment’s Salmon Credit
Calculation Method The Salmon Credit Calculation Method
calculates scores for six ecological functions relevant to
optimal habitat for the range of salmonid species. The output of
the metric is a weighted linear foot that is based on the % of
optimal functions performed by the stream and near-stream
habitat. The salmon metric began developme