# Oregon Salmon and Steelhead Recovery

Your opinions are needed to inform policy decisions that affect salmon and steelhead fish population management in Oregon. Please return your completed survey in the provided

postage

- paid envelope

.
Thank you for your help.

OMB Control N o. 20xx

- xxxx

– Approval expires xx /xx/xx 

# What do YOU think
should be done?1 

## WHAT THIS SURVEY IS ABOUT

This survey asks for your opinion on Willamette River watershed salmon & steelhead fisheries management. Your household was chosen at random from a list of Oregon addresses to receive this survey. Your responses will hel p authorities choose the best option. Some of the background information is based on Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration sources, but this survey was written and sponsored by the

Environ mental Protecti on Agency

.

Fish Species

 There are several species of salmon and steelhead trout in Oregon. These fish live most of their lives in the ocean, but return to Oregon rivers and streams to spawn. There are two kinds of fish: wild

- origin fish , reproducing on their own;
and hatchery

- origin fish , bred in fish hatcheries and released in to rivers and streams to provide fishing opportunities.
Location

 This survey is about the salmon and steelhead in the Willamette River watershed only, shown in th e map on the next page. The Willamette River is the main river passing through the most populated parts of Oregon, such as Eugene, Salem, and Portland. Fish have to swim up the Columbia River and through Portland to get to any part of the upper Willamette watershed. Major tributary rivers included in the Willamette watershed recovery plan are the Clackamas, Molalla, North Santiam, South Santiam, Calapooia, McKenzie, and Middle Fork Willamette

Rivers. Current Population Numbers

 Currently, t he total number of wild

- origin and hatchery

- origin sa lmon and steelhead returning to the Willamette River watershed to spawn is about 80,000 per year. For comparison, this is about 5% of the 1.6 million salmon and steelhead returning to the rest of the Columbia River waters hed.2 

## BACKGROUND INFORMATION
In the Willamette River watershed, about 75% of the returning salmon and steelhead are hatchery

- origin fish and about 25% are wild

- origin fish.

Scientists believe that, historically, over 1 million wild

- origin salmon and steelhead returned to

the Willamet te watershed. Current wild

- origin salmon and steelhead returns to the Willamette are about 20,000 fish per year. This is less than 5% of estimated historical wild returns. The combined effects of fish harvest, hatchery fish interactions, dams and flood control, and habitat alterations have led to these declines.

Declining abundance and reductions in habitat provided the scientific evidence for Willamette River Spring Chinook and Winter Steelhead to be listed as "Threatened" under the federal Endangered Species Act. These listings occurred in 1999. 

# Willamette Basin of Oregon In the Willamette River watershed, about 75% of the returning salmon and steelhead are hatchery

- origin fish and about 25% are wild

- origin fish.

Scientists believe that, historically, over 1 million wild

- origin salmon and steelhead returned to

the Willamette watershed. Current wild

- origin salmon and steelhead returns to the Willamette are about 20,000 fish per year. This is less than 5% of estima ted historical wild returns. The combined effects of fish harvest, hatchery fish interactions, dams and flood control, and habitat

alterations have led to these declines.

Declining abundance and reductions in habitat provided the scientific evidence for Willamette River Spring Chinook and Winter Steelhead to be listed as "Threatened" under the federal Endangered Species Act. These listings occurred in 1999. 

# Willamette Basin of Oregon

Willamette watershed boundary3 

## Wild Fish Background

 W ild salmon and steelhead in the Willamette River watershed were listed as “Threatened” under the Endangered Species Act in 1999. These fish are called Spring Chinook and Winter
Steelhead.

 “Threatened” means the populations are not self

- sustaining. Chinoo k have a 60% to 100% chance of going extinct in the next 100 yrs.

 These wild salmon and steelhead cannot be harvested by recreational or commercial anglers
in the Willamette watershed.

 There are other Threatened or Endangered fish in Oregon. Another well

- known example is
coastal Coho Salmon.

 There are other Willamette watershed fisheries, such as sturgeon, a wild and native fish.
There are also non

- native fish species that are self

- sustaining in Oregon, such as large and
smallmouth bass.

 There are other wild salmon and steelhead fisheries in Oregon, including Central Oregon, Eastern Oregon, and the Coast Range.

 There are other wild salmon and steelhead fisheries in Washington, Idaho, and California.

 Chinook Salmon (King, Blackmouth, Tyee) average size is 10

- 15 lbs, and up to 135 lbs.

 Steelhead (steelhead trout, sea

- run rainbow trout) average 8

- 11 lbs, and up to 40 lbs4 

## Hatchery Fish Background

 As noted on page 3, fish hatcheries produce the majority of the salmon and steelhead that return to the Willamette River watershed. There are 33 fish hatcheries in Oregon, and 7 fish hatcheries in the Willamette River watershed. The primary reason for Oregon fish hatcheries is to replace losses in wild

- origin fish.

 H atchery fish can be harvested. They are marked with a clipped fin so they can be distinguished from wild fish. Wild

- origin salmon and steelhead, however, cannot be harvested in the Willamette watershed. Anglers who are mainly interested in harvest
there fore prefer salmon and steelhead from hatcheries.

 Almost none of the salmon sold in Oregon stores and restaurants comes from the Willamette watershed since it is such a small percentage of the West Coast salmon fishery.

 Hatcheries are not the same thing as privately or corporation

- owned ‘fish farms’. Hatcheries release fish into the wild, but farmed fish are bred and harvested in captivity.

 Hatchery fish can crowd wild fish out of their habitat, so fish managers reduce impacts on wild fish by releasing h atchery fish at times of the year and locations that minimize
interactions with wild fish.

Hatchery spring Chinook

salmon at Willamette hatchery in Oakridge, Oregon5 

## THIS SURVEY WILL ASK YOU TO MAKE CHOICES ABOUT

WILLAMETTE WILD SALMON & STEELHEAD RECOVERY

 Recovery would mean the wild populations would be self

- sustaining. There would no longer be a significant risk of extinction in the next 100 years for wild Willamette
watershed salmon and steelhead.

 There is currently no legal harvest of wild

- origin salmon and steelhead in the Willamette watershed, so these wild fish tend to be important to people who like the idea of fish populations being self

- sustaining.

 Hatchery fish are important to recreational anglers who want the oppor tunity to keep fish they have caught. The voting questions do not consider any changes to hatcheries.

1

. Before reading this survey were you aware that the salmon and steelhead in the

Willamette watershed were considered “Threatened” under the Endangered Species Act?



##  Yes 

##  No

2

. Before reading this survey were you aware that the state of Oregon has hatcheries for

salmon and steelhead?



##  Yes 

##  No

3

. Before reading this survey were you aware that most of the salmon and steelhead in the Willamette watershed are hatchery

- origin fish?



##  Yes 

##  No

4

. Do you regularly purchase an Oregon state fishing license ?



##  Yes 

##  No

5

. Does anybody else in your household regularly purchase an Oregon state fishing license ?



##  Yes 

##  No6 

## Paying for Programs to Recover Wild Salmon and Steelhead

Rec overing spring Chinook and steelhead population s

– and maintaining this recovery into

the future

– requires a range of management strategies. Recovery programs being considered would improve ecological conditions for salmon and steelhead.

People can aid salmon and steelhead recovery with good stewardship of land, using water wisely, and impleme nting restoration projects to improve habitat conditi ons. All of these

cost money. The funding would come from a new permanent ta x . This tax would be a shared responsibility paid by all Oregonians. Money collected from the tax would be used to implement programs that address the primary threats to fish recovery. Recovery programs would be a collaborative effort between local, state, and federal or gan izations.

What additional recovery programs would do: Improve conditions of the Willamette Basin for salmon and steelhead recovery. The specific types of improvements will depend on the design of the program. Example

activities include:

 Retrofit d ams to allow fish to swim past them, using devices such as fish
ladders.

 Collect returning fish in holding ponds below dams and truck them above the
dam.

 Restoring floodplains and reconnecting side channels and wetlands.

 Increasing stream flow by changing the schedule of water releases from dams

.

 Improving water quality by reducing pollution from urban and agricultural

areas.

 Removing or replacing culverts and other structures that block fish passage.

What additional recovery programs would not do :

 Affect salmon and steelhead populations outside the Willamette Basin

.

 Have a noticeable effect on the quality or price of seafood you buy

.7 

## Willamette Wild Salmon and Steelhead Recovery Options

No Intervention

 Willamette Spring Chinook and Winter Steelhead are both currently listed as “Threatened” species. The risk of Spring Chinook going extinct in the next 100 years would remain between 60% and 100%.

 Estimated returns currently total about 20,000 fish per yea r.

 Catch

- and

- release fishing in the appropriate season, but wild fish may not be kept.

Basic Recovery

 This option would use tools listed on page 7 to create the conditions for more wild fish to reproduce on their own. Willamette Spring Chinook and Wi nter Steelhead would no longer be a “Threatened” species and there would not be a significant risk of them going extinct in the next 100 years.

 Estimated returns would be about 40,000 fish per year.

 Catch

- and

- release fishing in the appropriate season, bu t wild fish may not be kept.

High Recovery

 This option would more intensively use the tools listed on page 7 to create the conditions for more wild fish to reproduce on their own. Willamette Spring Chinook and Winter Steelhead would no longer be a “Th reatened” species and there would not be a significant risk of them going extinct in the next 100

years.

 Estimated returns would be about 70,000 fish per year.

 Catch

- and

- release fishing in the appropriate season, but wild fish may not be kept.8 

## Time to Recovery Options

Wild fish populations can recover sooner if the management tools listed on page 7 are used more intensively. However, more intensive use of these tools is also more expensive.

 If you select “No Intervention”

– there is no “time to recovery”.

 If you select an intervention, different proposed interventions have different times
to recovery:

o 15 years

o 25 years

o 50 years High Recovery

No Recovery Basic Recovery 70,000 fish & even
lower extinction risk

40,000 fish & low
extinction risk

20,000 fish & high
extinction risk

Time to Recovery Today9 

## The next question help s us understand your priorities for public

issues. As a society, w e cannot afford to fix all policy problems, so we have to decide upon priorities.

6

. What are your personal relative priorities? (Click one box per row.)

Very High Priority High

priority Low

priority Not a

priority
at all Not sure

National security 

##     

Reducing poverty and hunger 

##     

Improving education 

##     

Improving food safety 

##     

Protecting endangered species 

##     

Reducing unemployment 

##     

Reducing violent crime 

##     

Improving drinking water safety 

##     

Improving health care 

##     

Improving air quality 

##     

Preventing climate change 

##     

Very High Priority High

priority Low

priority Not a

priority
at all Not sure10 

## What do you think should be done about salmon and steelhead management?

In a moment, you will be asked about which alternatives you think are the best. Public officials will take the results of this survey into account when they choose among wild salmon and steelhead management options.

An examp le question is shown on the next page.

Experience from other studies has shown that people tend to respond differently in a survey than they would in real life, since they don’t actually have to follow through with their choices

. When voting we urge you to answer the questions as if you were really faced with these decisions and the costs to your household would really go up if the management options were implemented. Important instruction s

 In the questions that follow, we ask your opinion about different options for managing wild salmon and steelhead in the Willamette watershed.

 You will be asked three voting questions. In each question, you will vote for the option you like best from the three alternatives.

 Choosing the No Intervention option keeps the current conditions but does
not add new restoration activities.

 Option A and Option B are different in each question, with different outcomes and costs to your household.11 

# An Example Question

In each question, you will be asked to vote on three options. (Mark one box at the bottom of each question to indicate which option you prefer.)

Recovery Outcome N o
Intervention Option A Option B

Wild

Salmon &

Steelhead Status Threatened (20,000 wild fish returning per year) Basic Recovery

(40,000 wild fish returning per year) High Recovery

(70,000 wild fish returning per year)

Time to Recovery

Salmon &

Steelhea d No Recovery 15 years (time until wild

fish reach recovery goal) 50 years

(time until wild

fish reach recovery goal)

$

Annual Cost to

Your Household (Permanent

increase to your household starting

next year ) $0 every year $120 every

year (equivalent to $10 per month) $75 every year

(equivalent to $6.25 per month)

Your vote

Please mark one of the boxes to the right No Intervention



###  Option A



###  Option B



###  Recovery outcomes for each option are

listed here

Annual cost to your
household for each option listed here

To vote for No Intervention

mark this box To vote for Option A

mark this box To vote for Option B

mark this box

When you vote on the next three questions, please remember :

 Consider each question separately. Imagine that the options in that question are the only options available to choose from.

 Recovery opt ions will not change restrictions on harvesting the restored wild salmon and steelhead populations.

 The recovery outcomes in each question are based on the best scientific predictions available.12 7 . Please vote for one of the three options below . ( Mark one box at the bottom to indicate which option you prefer).

8 . How certain are that you would actually make this choice on a scale of 0 to 10, where 0 is “Very uncertain” and 10 is “Very certain” ? Please circle one answer on this scale.

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Recovery Outcome No Intervention Option A Option B

Wild

Salmon & Steelhead

Status Threatened

(20,000 wild fish
returning per year) Basic Recovery (40,000 wild fish returning per year) High Recovery (70,000 wild fish returning per year)

Time to Recovery

Salmon & Steelhead No Recovery 50 years (time until wild fish reach recovery goal) 50 years (time until wild fish

reach recovery goal)



## $

Annual Cost To Your

Household (Permanent increase to your household starting next year) $0 every year $40 every year ( equivalent to $3.33 per month) $75 every year

(equivalent to $6.25 per month)

Your Vote

Please mark one of the boxes to the right No Intervention 

#  Option A 

#  Option B 

# 

Very

uncertain Very

certain13 9 . Please vote for one of the three options below . ( Mark one box at the bottom to indicate which option you prefer).

10 . How certain are that you would actually make this choice on a scale of 0 to 10, where 0 is “Very uncertain” and 10 is “Very certain”? Please circle one answer on this scale.

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Recovery Outcome No Intervention Option A Option B

Wild

Salmon & Steelhead

Status Threatened

(20,000 wild fish returning per year) Basic Recovery (40,000 wild fish returning per year) High Recovery (70,000 wild fish returning per year)

Time to Recovery

Salmon & Steelhead No Recovery 50 years (time until wild fish reach recovery goal) 50 years (time until wild fish reach recovery goal)



## $

Annual Cost To Your

Household (Permanent increase to your household starting next year) $0 every year $40 every year ( equivalent to $3.33 per month) $75 every year

(equivalent to $6.25 per month)

Your Vote

Please mark one of the boxes to the right No Intervention 

#  Option A 

#  Option B 

# 

Very
uncertain Very

certain14 11 . Please vote for one of the three options below . ( Mark one box at the bottom to indicate which option you prefer).

12 . How certain are that you would actually make this choice on a scale of 0 to 10, where 0 is “Very uncertain” and 10 is “Very certain”? Please circle one answer on this scale.

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Recovery Outcome No Intervention Option A Option B

Wild

Salmon & Steelhead

Status Threatened

(20,000 wild fish returning per year) Basic Recovery (40,000 wild fish returning per year) High Recovery (70,000 wild fish returning per year)

Time to Recovery

Salmon & Steelhead No Recovery 50 years (time until wild fish reach recovery goal) 50 years (time until wild fish reach recovery goal)



## $

Annual Cost To Your

Household (Permanent increase to your household starting next year) $0 every year $40 every year ( equivalent to $3.33 per month) $75 every year

(equivalent to $6.25 per month)

Your Vote

Please mark one of the boxes to the right No Intervention 

#  Option A 

#  Option B 

# 

Very

uncertain Very

certain15 Strongly Disagree Strongly

A gree Neutral 13 . Thinking about the choices you made in the previous voting questions, how much do you agree or disagree that the following statements ? (Please circle one number for each statement.)

14

. To what extent do you believe that the results of this survey

, based on your answers and the answers of other respondents

, will be taken into consideration by policy makers ? (Please

circle one number .)

Definitely not taken in account Unsure Definitely taken

into account

1 2 3 4 5 My choices would have been different if the economy in my area were be tter

. 1 2 3 4 5

It is important to restore Willamette basin salmon and steelhead, no matter how much it

costs. 1 2 3 4 5

The descriptions in the recovery plan were
hard to understand. 1 2 3 4 5

Salmon and steelhead recovery is important,
but I do not believe that the recovery options will actually increase the number of fish as
described. 1 2 3 4 5

Recovery options were not worth their costs to my household

. 1 2 3 4 5

The changes offered by the plans happen too far into the future for me to really care. 1 2 3 4 5

Recovery program should be paid by commercial and recreational anglers rather than by all Oregon residents

. 1 2 3 4 5

Salmon and steelhead recovery is not that important to me.

. 1 2 3 4 5

Environmental conditions besides fish were important factors in my decision. 1 2 3 4 5

Somebody else should pay 1 2 3 4 516 Strongly Disagree Strongly

A gree Neutral 15 . Thinking about the choices you made in the previous voting questions, how much do you agree or disagree with the following statements ? (Please circle one number for each statement.)

I chose as if my household would actually face

t he costs shown in the questions

. 1 2 3 4 5

I voted for a recovery plan option because I thought it would increase the chances that the government would do the same thing in rivers basins closer to my home. 1 2 3 4 5

It is important to restore wild salmon and
steelhead no matter how much it costs

. 1 2 3 4 5

I should not have to pay for wild salmon and steelhead recovery

. 1 2 3 4 5

I voted for a recovery plan option more for future generations than myself

. 1 2 3 4 5

Recovery should be funded with existing

taxes. 1 2 3 4 5

I prefer to make a voluntary donation than to

increase taxes. 1 2 3 4 5

I c annot afford to help pay for these program s 1 2 3 4 5 I think wild salmon and steelhead recovery would happen too far in the future to be
worthwhile

. 1 2 3 4 5

The government should be involved in regulating the activities of people and businesses, in order to protect or improve the

environment

. 1 2 3 4 5

Background information in the survey was fair
and unbiased. 1 2 3 4 517 

## Questions about your activities on lakes, rivers, and streams in the

Willamette basin

The following questions will ask you about single

- day trips you have taken to visit a lake, river, or stream in the Willamette basin. By single

- day trips, we mean visits where you traveled at least

15 minutes from home , but did not spend the night away. This includes short trips within your community, and longer trips that take several hours or an entire day.

16. In th e last 12 months, how many single

- day trips did you take to visit a lake, stream, or

river in the Willamette basin for recreational purposes? (Please circle one number .)

0 1 2 3 4 If more than 4, write in number of trips:

__________ Don’t know how many

trips I took in the past
12 months 

## 

17 . If you did visit one or more lake, stream, or river in the Willamette basin in the last 12 months, which site did you visit most often? (Fill in as much information as you can).

17 a. Name of site

_______________________________________________________

17 b. How long did it take you to drive there from your home?

_________ hours and _________ minutes

17 c. What is the nearest town to that site? __

_________________________________

17 d. What did you do on your visit(s) to that site? (Check all activities you did on your visits)

 Fishing  Swimming or playing in the water

 Boating, canoeing or kayaking  Camping

 Hunting  Hiking, walking, or running

 Bird watching or wildlife viewing  Other _____________________18 18. On these single

- day trips in the last 12 months, who normally went with you?

 No one, I usually went alone  1 or more other adults, but no children  1 or more other people, including children

19 . In the past 12 months, which of the following lakes, rivers, or streams di d you visit? (Please
check all that you have visited and write in the number of visits in the past 12 months). An example 

__ 2 _Blue River Lake



______ Willamette River within Portland 

______ Willamette River outside of Portland  ______Coast Fork Willamette  ______Middle Fork Willamette  ______Tualtin River  ______McKenzie River  ______North Fork Yamhill River  ______South Fork Yamhill  ______Mollala River  ______Clackamas River  ______North Santiam River  ______South Santiam River  ______Calapooia River  ______Mary’s River  ______Long Tom River  ______Luckiamute River  ______Breitenbush River  ______Eagle Creek  ______Quartzville Creek  ______Pudding River `  ______Hills Creek `  ______Cougar Lake  ______Det roit Lake  ______Clear Lake 

______ Dexter Lake  ______Dorena Lake  ______Fall Creek  ______Fern Ridge Lake  ______Foster Lake  ______Green Peter Lake  ______Hills Creek Lake  ______Blue River Lake  ______Big Cliff Lake  ______Leaburg Lake  ______North Fork Lake (Clackamas)  ______Cottage Grove Lake  ______Lookout Point Lake  ______Other ___________________  ______Other ___________________  ______Other ___________________19 Strongly Disagree Strongly

A gree Neutral 

## The Next Question s Ask You About Your Views On Hatchery

- origin

and Wild

- origin Salmon and Steelhead in the Willamette Basin

It is possible that a large reduction in the number of hatchery salmon and steelhead in the Willamette watershed might be required to meet wild salmon and steelhead recovery goals. These reductions may be needed to reduce competition between hatchery and wild fish for

resources and habitat. Reductions in the number of hatchery fish in the Willamette watershed

would mean fewer salmon and steelhead available for recre ational anglers to catch and bring

home.

20

. Would your household support a large reduction in hatchery salmon and steelhead in the Willamette watershed if it would help to achieve wild salmon and steelhead recovery? (Please circle one number .)

Definitely
would not support Unsure Definitely
would
support

1 2 3 4 5

21. H ow much do you agree or disagree with the following statements about wild

- origin and hatchery

- origin salmon and steelhead ? (Please circle one number for each statement.)

A wild

- origin fish population is more valuable to me than a population of hatchery fish because its presence indicates a well

functioning, healthy watershed. 1 2 3 4 5

Oregon salmon and steelhead populations need to be managed so they support harvest

. 1 2 3 4 5

The recreation opportunity provided by hatchery

- origin fish is more important than having sustainable wild, but no t harvestable populations. 1 2 3 4 520 

## About you and your household

To finish, we have some questions about you for statistical purposes only. Please be assured that all of your answers will remain completely confidential. We ask these questions so that we

can determine how the socio

22: What is your sex?  Male  Female

23: What is your age?

_________ years old

24: How many children under age 18 are living in your home? ________ children

25 : Does anyone in your household belong to an environmental organization (such as the Sierra Club, or National Audubon Society) ?

 Yes  No  Don’t Know

26 : In 2013, what was your total pre

- tax household income, including all earners in your household?

 Under $25 ,000  $100,000 to $14 9,999
 $25,000 to $4 9,999  $150,000 to $199 ,999
 $50,000 to $74 ,999  Above $20 0,000
 $75,000 to $9 9,999

Note: Please answer BOTH Questions 24 about Hispanic origin and Question 25. For this survey, Hispanic origins are not races.

27 : Are you of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin? 

### :  Yes  No  I prefer not to answer

28 . What is your race? (You may select more than one.)

 American Indian or Alaska Native  Asian Indian
 Black or African American  White
 Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander  Asian
 Black/African American  Some other race21 29

. What is the highest degree or level of school you have completed?
 Less than high school  Associate’s degree
 High school or GED  Bachelor’s degree
 Some college (1

- 4 years, no degree)  Graduate degree

Thank you! You have completed the survey. Please return the survey in the provided postage

- paid envelope. 30

. Have you or any member of your household ever worked for any of the following industries or jobs ? (Please check all that apply)

 Commercial fishing  Electric power generation
 Farming  Commercial timber
 Dam operations  River or fishing guiding

31

. Would you say that you and your household are better off, just about the same, or worse off financially than you were a year ago ?

 We are better off  We are just about the same  We are worse off

32

. Looking ahead, do you think that a year from now you and your family will be financially better off, just about the same, or worse off finically?

 We will be better off  We will be just about the same  We will be worse off22 

## Thank you again for providing us with your views . Your input is very important.

If you have any additional thoughts or comments about any of the topics or the survey itself, please share them here.

If you have any questions, please call 541

- 754

- 4703 or email papenfus.michael@epa.gov

The public reporting and recordkeeping burden for this collection of information is estimated to

average 30 minutes per response. Send comments on the Agency's need for this information, the accuracy of the provided burden estimates, and any suggested methods for minimizing respondent burden, including through the use of a utomated collection techniques to the Director, Collection Strategies Division, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2822T), 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, D.C. 20460. Include the OMB control number in any correspondence. Do not send the comple ted survey to this address.