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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