The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

DAYTON-Steve Martin has a new job title. He is now the Executive Coordinator for the Governor's Salmon Recovery Office.

Martin said he started his new job on Aug. 1, and he is currently traveling back and forth from his office in Olympia to, his home in Dayton.

"I have no plans to move. I am deeply rooted in our community," said Martin, whose wife Jody and twin daughters are at home in Dayton.

Martin said he will be "mostly on the road", as he has been tasked with building relationships with key partners across the state and region.

Martin said that when Governor Gary Locke saw the need for a different way to address the documented listing for salmon, in light of the controversy and trouble for timber communities on the coast when the Spotted Owl was designated an endangered species, he and the state legislature created seven regional recovery boards.

The regional recovery boards are comprised of local stakeholders, the state, the federal government, and the tribes, and they were given the authority to identify local goals and priorities, and implement recovery plans, Martin said.

"Funding is being guided by the organization, as are state, and federal dollars, for the purpose of recovering salmon, he said.

"Not everybody has a passion for salmon," Martin admitted.

But there are tremendous ancillary benefits including; increased summertime flow, which is good for fish and water users, improved water quality and reliability, greater opportunities for recreation, flood risk reduction, and the creation of local jobs.

Martin also said, "The science guys are at the table"

The data shows that, in southeastern Washington, recovery is going from flat, to slight improvement, he said.

"I'm excited for the opportunity to build this very effective program. Everybody has been a great partner," said Martin.

We are doing what the plans say. If we want healthy water in streams for the future, we must act now," Martin added.

Since 2002 Martin had been the Executive Director of the Snake River Salmon Recovery Board, out of the Dayton office. That position is now held by John Foltz, he said.