<html xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:st1="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 11 (filtered medium)">
<o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"
name="country-region"/>
<o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"
name="PlaceType"/>
<o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"
name="PlaceName"/>
<o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"
name="State"/>
<o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"
name="City"/>
<o:SmartTagType namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags"
name="place"/>
<!--[if !mso]>
<style>
st1\:*{behavior:url(#default#ieooui) }
</style>
<![endif]-->
<style>
<!--
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";}
h1
{mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:24.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
font-weight:bold;}
h2
{mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:18.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
font-weight:bold;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{color:purple;
text-decoration:underline;}
p
{mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal-compose;
font-family:Arial;
color:windowtext;}
@page Section1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.Section1
{page:Section1;}
-->
</style>
</head>
<body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple>
<div class=Section1>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><a
href="http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2005-09/ci-fop090105.php">http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2005-09/ci-fop090105.php</a>
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><font
size=6 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:24.0pt;font-weight:bold'>Findings
on plummeting salmon populations at 8th World Wilderness Congress<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><font
size=5 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:18.0pt;font-weight:bold'>First
congress in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">United States</st1:place></st1:country-region>
since 1987 begins this month<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>September 1, 2005 (Washington, DC) – Close to 25 percent of all
Pacific salmon species studied are at risk of extinction, according to the
Atlas of the Pacific Salmon, released by State of the Salmon, a joint project
between The Wild Salmon Center and Ecotrust. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>The study
represents the first map-based measurement of the condition of North Pacific
salmon through their entire lifespan. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>The book's
findings show that Pacific salmon appear to be headed in the same direction as
their Atlantic counterparts. Half of all wild Atlantic salmon stocks are either
extinct or in great decline. But although biologists, fishery managers and
conservationists know a fair amount about the reasons for the decline in
Atlantic salmon, they lack similar information for Pacific salmon. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>"We know we
are losing Pacific salmon species at an alarming rate, but we've been driving
blind in our efforts to save them," said Dr. Xanthippe Augerot,
co-director of State of the Salmon. "The Atlas will help remedy the
chronic lack of information that's been hampering our efforts." <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>The conclusions
published in the Atlas are the result of ten years of research undertaken by
Dr. Augerot and her colleagues. The book proposes four approaches to solving
these large-scale challenges: an international monitoring system; more
effective fisheries management; increased conservation efforts; and improved
partnerships to protect salmon throughout the entire <st1:place w:st="on">Pacific
Rim</st1:place>. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>The Atlas also
details threats to salmon populations, which include climate change, water
diversions for hydro and agriculture needs, and habitat loss. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>On Wednesday,
October 8, Dr. Augerot will moderate a session at the World Wilderness Congress
with five of the world's leaders on Pacific salmon conservation. Reporters are
welcome to attend. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>###<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-weight:bold'>ABOUT
THE CONGRESS:</span></font></b> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>The 8th World
Wilderness Congress (WWC) will be held from September 30 – October 6,
2005 at the <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Egan</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Convention
Center</st1:PlaceType> in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Anchorage</st1:City>,
<st1:State w:st="on">Alaska</st1:State></st1:place>, <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>The Congress is
expected to attract more than 1,000 experts from 55 countries, including
numerous high-profile and senior-level political and corporate speakers. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>Confirmed speakers
include: leaders and representatives of indigenous and tribal communities from
close to 30 nations on six continents; David Rockefeller Jr.; Governor Walter
Hickel; Len Good, CEO, The Global Environmental Facility; Carlos Manuel
Rodriguez, Minister of Environment, Costa Rica; David Quammen, author; Grand
Chief Herb Norwegian, Deh Cho Nation, Canada; Dr. Michael Fay, Wildlife
Conservation Society; Dale Bosworth, Chief, USDA Forest Service; Dr. Willem van
Reit, President, Peace Parks Foundation, South Africa; Bittu Sahgal, President,
Sanctuary Asia; and Dr. Sylvia Earle, Executive Director, Marine Conservation,
Conservation International. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>The theme for the
8th WWC is Wilderness, Wildlands and People: A Partnership for the Planet. It
will generate the most up-to-date and accurate information on the benefits of
wilderness and wildlands to contemporary and traditional societies, and will
review the best models for balancing wilderness and wildlands conservation with
human needs. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>The Congress,
founded in 1977, was the first international environmental gathering to include
indigenous people and always focuses on wilderness and people. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>The Congress has
already issued four news releases detailing expected news highlights, available
at <a href="http://www.8wwc.org/press.htm">http://www.8wwc.org/press.htm</a>. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-weight:bold'>CONTACT
INFORMATION FOR JOURNALISTS:</span></font></b><br>
Journalists interested in registering for the Congress should send an e-mail to
<a href="mailto:media@8wwc.org">media@8wwc.org</a>. More information about the
Congress is available at <a href="http://www.8wwc.org">www.8wwc.org</a>. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>THROUGH SEPTEMBER
15, JOURNALISTS MAY CONTACT BRAD PHILLIPS AT <a
href="mailto:Brad@PhillipsMediaRelations.com">Brad@PhillipsMediaRelations.com</a>
or 202-776-0640. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>AFTER SEPTEMBER
15, JOURNALISTS MAY CONTACT KATHY DAY AT <a href="mailto:kathyday@gci.net">kathyday@gci.net</a>
or (907) 868-4884. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>