SalmonState

The group runs several campaigns, including campaigns focused on the environmental conservation of Alaskan salmon habitats. ²

Background

SalmonState is an Alaska-based environmental conservation group fiscally sponsored by the New Venture Fund. The group takes special interest in policies concerning Alaskan salmon populations, especially regarding salmon habitats and fishing practices. ^{1 2}

According to SalmonState, the organization is “housed at the New Venture Fund and collaborate[s] with Alaska nonprofits, Indigenous governments, commercial fishermen, businesses, and others.” ¹

Fiscal Sponsorship

The New Venture Fund is a funding and fiscal sponsorship organization. It is the largest nonprofit managed by Arabella Advisors, a for-profit left-of-center group that manages several left-of-center nonprofits. ³

Fiscal sponsorship arrangements mean that all donations to the fiscally sponsored organization are managed through the fiscal sponsor, and the project does not have independent nonprofit status separate from the fiscal sponsor. ⁴

Activities

SalmonState runs campaigns largely focused on preserving Alaska’s salmon habitats and populations. SalmonState also maintains a marketplace database promoting local fish merchants. ^{5 6}

In 2025, SalmonState sent a letter to U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) thanking her for her opposition to the Trump administration’s efforts to reduce the size of the federal government. In the letter, SalmonState claims that “Alaska communities and fisheries are being threatened in many ways including climate change, habitat loss, and federal fisheries management practices that allow waste and excessive harvest,” and denounces the “wrecking ball being swung by Elon Musk and DOGE.” ⁷

Stop Wasteful Bycatch is a campaign of SalmonState focused on changing policy around trawling, a method of fishing that involves using a net dragged across the sea floor. SalmonState claims this method of fishing is harmful to marine ecosystems due to the large number of non-target fish species that are caught via this method. ^{2 8}

Defend Bristol Bay is a campaign of SalmonState that seeks to prevent large-scale mining in the Bristol Bay watershed. ²

Funding

SalmonState is a fiscally sponsored project of the New Venture Fund, a funding and fiscal sponsorship organization managed by Arabella Advisors, a for-profit left-of-center group that manages several left-of-center nonprofits. ¹

The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation gave $200,000 in 2023, $200,000 in 2022, $200,000 in 2021, and $200,000 in 2020 to the New Venture Fund in support of SalmonState. ⁹

In 2023, the Wild Salmon Center gave $100,000 to the New Venture Fund in support of SalmonState. ¹⁰

In 2023, the Wilburforce Foundation gave $405,000 to the New Venture Fund in support of SalmonState. ¹¹

In 2022, the Campion Foundation gave $125,000 to the New Venture Fund for support to SalmonState. In 2019, the Campion Foundation gave $350,000 to the New Venture Fund in support of SalmonState. ¹²

In 2021, the Environmental Defense Fund gave $20,000 to the New Venture Fund, in support of SalmonState. ¹³

People

Tim Bristol is the executive director of SalmonState. Previously, Bristol worked for Trout Unlimited as the Alaska program director, as the executive director of the Alaska Coalition, as a representative for Save Our Wild Salmon Coalition, and as an organizer for the Southeast Alaska Conservation Council. ¹⁴

Jackie Arnaciar Boyer is the “Ocean Justice” program coordinator. Boyer previously worked for Native Peoples Action as a deputy director and as a legislative aide in the Alaska state legislature. ¹⁵