Who we are
Salmon recovery is our mission.
NSEA works to reverse the decline of salmon runs in Whatcom County by restoring habitat in and along streams and rivers, and engaging people of all ages to help recover wild salmon for future generations.
By achieving on-the-ground habitat restoration and fostering deep stewardship in our community, we’re building a new era of stewardship for the lands and waters of the Pacific Northwest.
Founded
1991, growing from volunteer grassroots organizing that began in 1988
Legal status
501(c)(3) community-based nonprofit
Service area
Whatcom County, Washington
Governance
Volunteer board of directors; board meetings are open to the public
Results
Restoring habitat with the community since 1991.
These figures are cumulative since NSEA’s founding in 1991 and current through the end of 2025. Our funders, volunteers, and landowner partners made every one of them possible, and there is still much work to be done.
500,000+
native trees and shrubs planted
35,000+
students educated
750+
interns trained
400,000+
volunteer hours
40,000+
volunteers engaged
2,200+
pieces of large woody debris (LWD) installed
fish passage barriers removed
145+
miles of stream opened
600,000+
linear feet of stream improved
1,400+
volunteer work parties hosted
Our Impact page tells the full story behind these numbers, including our interactive project map of restoration and education sites across the county.
Documents
Read our reports and financials.
The documents most grant applications call for are collected here. Additional reports, statements, and forms are available upon request.
Transparency
Charity Navigator 4-Star Charity
Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency
Our full nonprofit profile is available on Candid.
How funds are used
Where your funding goes.
Grant funding at NSEA goes to work on the ground and in the classroom. Contractors and our crew handle instream restoration, our riparian team and volunteers plant and maintain streamside habitat, and our educators reach students across Whatcom County.
Instream restoration
We remove fish passage barriers and install large woody debris (LWD, the logs and root wads that create the pools and cover salmon need) in creeks across the county.
Riparian & streamside work
Volunteers and crew plant native trees and shrubs along streambanks to keep water cold, clean, and clear, and we care for and monitor past projects for years so they keep working.
Education
Students for Salmon brings salmon science to fourth grade classrooms in all Whatcom County schools at no cost, and our Nature Preschool and Summer Camp start stewardship even earlier.
Community stewardship
Volunteer work parties, Salmon Sighting events, and the Salmon Spotters citizen science project give the whole community a way to take part in salmon recovery.
Our funders
We’re grateful for the partners who fund this work.
Government agencies, private foundations, and local businesses sustain NSEA’s restoration, education, and stewardship programs.
NSEA’s work is also generously funded by Patagonia, the Ag Water Board of Whatcom County, and other partners whose logos will join this wall as permissions are confirmed.
Talk with us
Bring your questions to our Grant Manager.
Kerry McManus manages NSEA’s grants and funder relationships. She can answer questions about our programs, financials, reporting, and where funding is needed most. We’d love to hear from you!
General inquiries: info@n-sea.org. Office hours Monday through Thursday, 9 am to 4 pm.