The Fish Are Telling Us Something. Jay Hesse on Snake River Salmon's Last Stand

Erik and Jack cover a busy week — Erik returns from the IPW convention in Florida where he spent three days pitching Idaho's outdoor recreation opportunities (jet boat rides, rafting, backcountry horse trips, hunting) to international tour operators and travel agents. They hit the week's policy news: Steve Pierce's official BLM confirmation, $12M in USDA CWD funding, and a sobering stat that the Forest Service maintained 22% fewer trail miles in 2025 than the year prior. Jack does a deep dive on the FY27 Interior/Environment appropriations bill out of Congressman Simpson's subcommittee — covering Forest Service budget levels, PILT funding, hunting/fishing access protections, and provisions on grizzly bears, wolves, and wolverines. Then Jay Hesse, Director of Biological Services for the Nez Perce Tribe, joins for a wide-ranging conversation on the state of Snake River salmon and steelhead — explaining quasi-extinction thresholds, the alarming status of Middle Fork Chinook populations, and the tribe's aggressive conservation measures including cryopreservation, off-site living gene banks, overwinter survival pilots, and marine-derived nutrient enhancement using shad. Jay closes with a public health warning: methylmercury levels in lower Salmon River smallmouth bass are among the highest in the state.