What are the potential impacts of human population growth and urban development?
Coastal counties make up only 11 percent of the land area in the U.S., but are home to over half our population. Growth estimates for the counties surrounding Puget Sound indicate that the human population will increase by up to 62 percent by 2025 (Washington State Office of Financial Management). Spatial data associating pre-spawn mortality and land-use type can be combined with growth management projections to predict where pre-spawn mortality may pose a threat to coho salmon populations.
