The Endangered Species Act (ESA) requires NOAA Fisheries Service to develop and implement recovery plans for conservation and survival of listed species. Recovery plans must describe specific management actions; establish objective, measurable criteria for delisting; and estimate the time and cost to carry out measures needed to achieve recovery.

Recovery is the process by which listed species and their ecosystems are restored and their future secured to the point that protection under the ESA is no longer needed. NOAA Fisheries Service believes that recovery must be grounded in existing conservation efforts under way throughout the region. It has established a recovery-planning process to maximize local involvement and capitalize on ongoing efforts. As a result, the Northwest Region is linking its recovery planning processes to on-going regional and local salmon conservation and planning efforts.

NOAA Fisheries Service has developed a strategy for recovery planning in the four states of Washington, Idaho, Oregon and California that combines ESA-listed salmon and steelhead distinct population segments in geographic areas. The Northwest Region has identified its three recovery planning areas, or recovery domains, and has established technical recovery teams of scientists for each domain. Recovery plans in each domain will address all salmon species within that geographic area, and will involve stakeholders on a more local level. The agency is crafting recovery planning and implementation processes that are uniquely suited to each recovery domain to engender local buy-in. The Northwest Region has encouraged development of sub-basin (links to Northwest Power & Conservation Council Website) and watershed (links to Puget Sound Shared Strategy Website) plans that the agency expects will provide the building blocks for ESA recovery plans.