Brian Baird, former US Congressman, delivered the keynote address at the Estuary Partnership's sixth annual Science to Policy Summit, June 1 at the Vancouver Hilton. He challenged the group to keep the discussion robust including science, economics and social issues, as well as the political realities.The day focused the new scientific data and tools used in the region to restore and protect the river and the management implications. Bernadette Graham Hudson, Lower Columbia Fish Recovery Board and Catherine Corbett, Estuary Partnership, summarized key findings from the Columbia River Estuary Conference (CREC) in May, attended by over 200 of the region’s scientists. They offered three key messages: the importance of restoring ecological diversity in the region, the need to consider salmon recovery and other community and wildlife needs, and the need to address habitat restoration on a landscape scale. Dick Pedersen, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality and Joan Dukes, Northwest Power and Conservation Council, talked about how they used scientific information in the decision making process and the importance of putting data into context. Participants discussed how the latest scientific findings and realities of policy making affect their own work and what the Estuary Partnership can do to support the region to adapt to these challenges. The key messages were the need for communication with the public that is simple and intuitive and science should be the driver in decision making but needs to be put into the context of the economic, cultural and political realities. See the complete report below.