History

The Mattole Salmon Group (MSG) was formed in 1980 by local residents in response to the terrifying decline of native salmon and steelhead populations. The MSG was the first watershed-wide, entirely citizen-run effort in the Pacific Northwest to begin restoring native salmon runs and the river on which they depend. The Mattole Salmon Group’s mission is to restore native salmon populations to self-sustaining levels in the Mattole Watershed through habitat restoration, direct enhancement, education, and scientific research. The MSG continues today from its grassroots foundation as one of the longest-running community-based restoration programs in the state of California.