In Washington State, there has historically been much conflict over the answer to this question: should the land be preserved for farming, or should it be restored for fish? Salmon are threatened, and with it the cultural integrity of the Tribes that depend on them. The local agricultural community is also facing threats as populations grow and development encroaches into farmland. But do we have to choose?

The Snohomish Conservation District believes we can have both. But it will depend on our ability to build the right collaborations and projects together, transcending divides that once kept groups at odds with one another. They asked us to help them make this argument through a short film on two river restoration projects underway, including the largest restoration project currently in progress in the Puget Sound. By working together and implementing lessons learned, restoration can bring back vital salmon habitat while protecting farmland from damaging floods. The film features voices of those affected by changes to the river made long ago, who have opted to collaborate in a shared vision for a new way forward.