(SEATTLE) -- Key leaders in the politics of salmon are coming to Seattle to talk about salmon recovery at the 1997 Salmon Homecoming Forum.  This one day conference will spotlight US/Canada Pacific Salmon Treaty negotiations and state, federal, and tribal plans for saving salmon.   It runs from 9:00 am - 5:00 pm on Saturday, Sept. 13, at the Bell Harbor Conference Center on the Seattle waterfront (Pier 66, 2211 Alaskan Way, Seattle).  It is open to the public.  
 
        The 1997 Salmon Homecoming Forum, entitled "Moving Salmon Up the Political Agenda," will focus on US/Canada salmon negotiations and the latest efforts by the federal government, the states, the tribes, and British Columbia to protect and restore salmon stocks on the west coast.         The Forum is being organized by For the Sake of the Salmon, the Sustainable Fisheries Foundation, and the Seattle Aquarium. It is being held in conjunction with the Salmon Homecoming Celebration, a four day festival featuring an exciting mix of educational and cultural activities that celebrate the return of the salmon.  

        The Forum is an excellent opportunity for the public to hear from some of the top officials involved with the US/Canada treaty negotiations and to find out the latest on regional recovery efforts.  The following speakers are taking part:

* Jim Pipkin, Special Negotiator for Pacific Salmon and Counselor to the Secretary of the Interior
* Ron Allen, Pacific Salmon Treaty Commissioner and President of the National Congress of American Indians
* Fred Fortier, Chairman, Shuswap Nation Fisheries Commission and BC Aboriginal Fisheries Commission
* Billy Frank, Chairman of the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commmission
* Elizabeth Furse, Oregon Congresswoman
* Will Stelle, Director, Northwest Region, National Marine Fisheries Service
* Bernard Shanks, Director, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
* Lorraine Bodi, Co-Director of the Northwest Regional Office of American Rivers
* Bill Wilkerson, Chair, Washington Forest Protection Association
* Lynn Hunter, Wild Salmon Coalition, Victoria, BC
* Stuart Culbertson, Assistant Deputy Minister, BC Fisheries Secretariat
* Bob Nichols, Washington Governor's Office
* Senator Dan Swecker, Co-chair, Joint Legislative Task Force on Salmon Restoration
* Tom Fitzsimmons, Director, Washington Department of Ecology

        Although the Salmon Homecoming Forum is open to the public, seating is limited.  A registration fee of $20 is required to reserve a seat in the main auditorium and to gain admission to a buffet luncheon at the Bell Harbor Conference Center.   To register, contact For the Sake of the Salmon (Tel. 503-650-5447) or the Sustainable Fisheries Foundation (Tel. 425-670-3584).