Female fisher emerging from a den cavity (Kerry Rennie / Hoopa Tribal Forestry)

The fisher, or ’ista:ngq’eh-k’itiqowh in the Hupa language, is culturally significant to many native communities of the Pacific Northwest, including the Na:tinaxwe or Hupa people. The Hupa name exemplifies the fisher’s agility, translated as ‘log-along-it scampers’. INR staff are collaborating with Hoopa Tribal Forestry biologists and foresters to develop a more complete understanding of fisher habitat selection patterns and recommendations for the protection, retention, and recruitment of fisher den sites.

The Hoopa Tribe's economy is almost entirely based on income generated from timber harvested on the Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation. Fishers depends on forests with old growth characteristics. So it is critical to determine fisher habitat components that can be maintained or enhanced while implementing the Tribe’s forest management plan.