Q: What does Salmon-Safe mean?

A: The Salmon-Safe label on a product means it was created using healthy practices that keep Pacific Northwest rivers clean enough for native salmon to spawn and thrive. Farms and urban sites earn Salmon-Safe certification after a rigorous assessment that includes on-the-ground inspection by expert independent certifiers. Land managers can do much to promote healthy landscapes for salmon by planting trees along riverside areas, improving irrigation systems to reduce erosion, and limiting pesticides and other pollution from reaching waterways. On a product, the Salmon-Safe logo refers to how the crop is produced, not to the food or beverage product itself.

Q: Does Salmon-Safe certification mean that an operation is addressing global warming?

A: Human-caused warming already has created warmer streams that are dangerous for salmon, altered snow and rain patterns in Northwest salmon basins that affect migration, and changed ocean and estuary conditions vital for salmon to find sufficient food for survival. Salmon-Safe and more than 250 certified farms and businesses are out front in addressing one of the most critical global warming related factors for salmon recovery by helping to keep low-elevation rivers as cool and clean as possible for salmon as they migrate.

Q: What is the process for Salmon-Safe certification?

A: Whether the site is a farm or a corporate campus, businesses earn the right to use the Salmon-Safe label after a rigorous assessment and independent verification of their operations by Salmon-Safe expert inspectors.

Q: How is Salmon-Safe different from organic?

A: Salmon-safe foods may or may not be certified organic. While organic certification is primarily concerned with chemical inputs used in production, Salmon-Safe certification examines the overall affect of the farming system in its watershed. Salmon-safe farms may use synthetic or naturally occurring pesticides and fertilizers that are chosen with consideration for having the least impact on aquatic ecosystems. Salmon-Safe works closely with Oregon Tilth to offer our certification to the organic community.

Q: Can my business be certified Salmon-Safe?

A: Salmon-Safe is rapidly expanding our certification services as demand grows for the Salmon-Safe label. Contact us to find out if we can help evaluate your company or organization's environmental performance with respect to protecting water quality or wildlife habitat.

Q: How often are participants reviewed?

A: For all Salmon-Safe operations, program participation requires that Salmon-Safe be allowed to monitor practices on at least an annual basis. Participating operators also have agreed to disclose to Salmon-Safe any change in practices or crops being cultivated that materially affect the continued validity of the certification.

Q: How much does Salmon-Safe certification cost participating operators?

A: The development of the Salmon-Safe program was supported by several national foundations that fund efforts to use market incentives to promote ecologically sustainable agricultural practices. To sustain the program, Salmon-Safe typically asks operators to pay the cost of providing the certification, which can range from $300 for a small vineyard in the Willamette Valley to $15,000 or more for a large corporate campus.

Q: Is Salmon-Safe connected to any other organization?

A: Salmon-Safe spun off from Pacific Rivers Council in 2001. The organization is an independent 501(c)3 nonprofit.