SACRAMENTO – The State Assembly voted 59-11 on Monday to approve Senate Bill 562, legislation by North Coast State Senator Patricia Wiggins (D-Santa Rosa) to provide urgent funding for salmon restoration relief.

The bill now heads back to the Senate for concurrence on amendments.

Assemblywoman Patty Berg (D – Eureka), who presented the bill on the floor of the Assembly, said SB 562 was “about this legislature taking action to protect California’s $100 million dollar salmon industry.”

The Wiggins bill would allocate $5 million dollars from Proposition 84 bond funds to the Department of Fish and Game’s Fishery Grant Restoration Program, but perhaps more significantly, SB 562 will allow the state to leverage up to $20 million federal dollars for salmon this spring.

“This bill’s small investment has the potential to bring in $20 million in federal funds for salmon and steelhead restoration,” Wiggins said. “The salmon industry is likely to be shut down this year and I appreciate the fact that my colleagues have taken this step toward helping restore the salmon fishery.

“The salmon industry is more than just fishermen – it is tackle shops, processors, ice suppliers, restaurants, and tourism,” Wiggins added. “This is a small investment to help that industry.”

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