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Citizen Update

July 2003 • Issue 10

A publication of the Federal Caucus, Columbia River Basin Fish and Wildlife Recovery

ubstantial progress has

already been made to

improve conditions in the

Columbia and Snake River

best use of scientific know-how

and dollars.

But the federal agencies are

not going it alone. Just as the AllH Paper was created with extensive input from states, tribes and

other interested stakeholders,

the actual recovery process

depends on the integrated efforts

of many parties to be successful.

States, tribes, environmental

groups, river users and other

groups and individuals are

pulling together to do what they

can to redress human impacts on

natural systems affecting fish.

One challenge these agencies

face is coordinating all of these

activities. If we think of the

regional recovery effort as a

puzzle with hundreds of interlocking pieces, we

can more readily

understand how

these many efforts—

both localized and

wide scale—connect

to the “big picture”

and play a critical

role in achieving

success. So, just

what are the

pieces of this

puzzle? And how

do they fit together?

Following the

listing of 12

species of Columbia Basin salmon

and steelhead,

and the later

addition of bull trout and

Kootenai River white sturgeon,

the Federal Caucus (see page 3

box) kicked into high gear. In

December 2000, the Caucus

released the All-H Paper, and

NOAA Fisheries and the U.S.

Fish and Wildlife Service

(USFWS) released their FCRPS

Biological Opinions (BiOps).

Connecting the Pieces

S

S

basins for salmon, steelhead, bull

trout, Kootenai River white

sturgeon and

other fish listed

under the Endangered Species

Act (ESA).

Efforts to recover threatened

and endangered

fish populations

continue to build

momentum.

Guided by the

Basinwide

Salmon Recovery

Strategy, also

called the All-H

Paper, federal

agencies have been

changing the way

they operate dams

in the Federal

Columbia River Power System

(FCRPS), improving fish passage

systems at the dams, protecting

and repairing important habitat,

changing hatchery practices and

better managing harvest activities. They are working together

to set up monitoring systems and

research programs to evaluate

these efforts and determine the

How the Region’s Efforts Fit Together to

Foster Fish Recovery
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These documents provide a jump

start for recovery efforts, while

the more arduous task of individual species recovery planning

gets under way.

When species are listed under

the ESA, the law stipulates that

the responsible federal agencies

must develop detailed plans for

their recovery. These plans

include objective, measurable

criteria for “de-listing” each

species, site-specific actions, and

estimates of time and costs

needed for implementation. The

law also places special requirements on actions permitted,

carried out, or funded by federal

agencies.

survival improvements throughout the life cycle that will reduce

extinction risk and increase the

likelihood of recovery.

The Action Agencies develop

an implementation plan each

year—a rolling “big picture” fiveyear plan, including a moredetailed plan for the first year—

to translate the BiOps into

action. These plans guide operations of 14 federally owned dams

in the Columbia River Basin as

well as the offsite mitigation

activities such as habitat and

hatchery improvements undertaken by the Action Agencies.

This Federal

Caucus document provides a

framework for

the BiOps and

species recovery planning

Judge Redden finds NOAA Fisheries’ Biological Opinion Flawed

On May 7, 2003, Judge James A. Redden of the Federal District

Court of Oregon issued an opinion ruling in favor of a coalition of

environmental groups in National Wildlife Federation et al. v.

National Marine Fisheries Service et al. This case challenged NOAA

Fisheries’ 2000 BiOp, which guides operation of the FCRPS for

salmon and steelhead. The judge determined that the BiOp didn’t

meet certain legal requirements to document salmon-saving actions.

Mainly, Judge Redden’s concern is that NOAA Fisheries improperly relied on basinwide, offsite measures, for which there either

was not sufficient consultation under section 7 of the Endangered

Species Act, or, for the non-federal actions, that were not “reasonably certain” to occur. The offsite measures are those in the habitat,

harvest and hatcheries arenas that are meant to make up for hydro

system fish losses.

In a May 16 hearing, Judge Redden remanded, or handed back,

the BiOp to NOAA Fisheries to correct deficiencies within one year.

He also called for status reports and conferences every 90 days.

Judge Redden subsequently rejected the plaintiffs’ request that the

court invalidate the entire BiOp while it’s being fixed. He ruled

instead that it should stay in place while its deficient parts are being

rewritten. The Action Agencies will continue actions to restore

listed salmon and steelhead as the federal agencies work together

to respond to the judge’s instructions.

were prepared in consultation

with the three federal Action

Agencies responsible for managing federal dams in the FCRPS.

These agencies are the

Bonneville Power Administration

(BPA), U.S. Army Corps of

Engineers and Bureau of Reclamation. The BiOps recommend

over 200 actions to avoid jeopardizing ESA-listed fish. The

actions include fish passage

improvements and operations

such as spilling water for fish at

the dams, as well as offsite

measures such as selective

fishing methods, hatchery plans

and habitat protection and

restoration. The combination of

actions is expected to result in

Issued by

NOAA Fisheries

(for salmon and

steelhead) and

USFWS (for bull

trout and sturgeon), the BiOps

FCRPS

Biological

Opinions

All-H

Paper

and addresses steps to be taken

by federal agencies. It approaches recovery from the

perspective of the fish life cycle:

integrating BiOps requirements

with other measures to improve

hydro system passage and

hatchery operations, protect and

restore habitat and encourage

selective harvest. The strategy

prioritizes actions with the best

chance of producing measurable

near-term benefits and establishes ways to gauge success and

factor in new scientific findings.
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Regional

Recovery Efforts

Concurrent

with BiOps and

basinwide strategy implementation, the fourstate Northwest

Power and

Federal Caucus: Agencies Play Key Roles in Recovery

The Federal Caucus includes the federal agencies

with natural resource responsibilities under the ESA.

These agencies have different authorities and jurisdictions for salmon recovery:

• The National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service

Federal

Efforts

(NOAA Fisheries) – has ESA jurisdiction over anadromous

fish and a role regulating fisheries. (Previously referred to as

NMFS.)

• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) – operates and administers the National Fish Hatchery System and the National Wildlife

Refuge System; has ESA jurisdiction over fish, wildlife and plant

species, except for some marine species that are the responsibility of NOAA Fisheries.

• The Federal Columbia River Power System (FCRPS) Action

Agencies – The Bonneville Power Administration (BPA)

markets electricity from federal dams and plays a key role in

funding fish and wildlife mitigation programs, while the U.S.

Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) and Bureau of Reclamation

(Reclamation) operate federal dams in the system. While

addressing dam impacts on listed species, the agencies are

also responsible for operating the river system to serve

multiple purposes, including irrigation, flood control, power,

navigation, etc.

• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) – implements and

enforces the Clean Water Act.

• U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and Bureau of Land Management

(BLM) – manage public forest and rangelands that provide

critical spawning and rearing habitat for listed species.

• Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) – trustee for tribal and individual Indian lands and resources held in trust. Columbia

Basin Tribes have management authority for fish, water and

wildlife resources passing through their lands.

Subbasin

Planning

Conservation Council (formerly

Northwest Power Planning

Council) has begun a process

through its Columbia Basin Fish

and Wildlife Program to develop

individual plans in each of 62

subbasins in the Columbia River

Basin. Collectively, these

subbasin plans will make up a

significant portion of the recovery puzzle. Under the BPAfunded Subbasin Planning

Initiative, local planning groups

comprising local, state, regional,

tribal and federal partners are

developing the subbasin plans.

The plans will include an inventory of what fish use particular

subbasins, an assessment of

current and future conditions

and ultimately a management

plan providing a vision statement, goals and biological

objectives for the subbasin.

When completed by June 2004

and adopted by the Council by

the beginning of 2005, each

subbasin plan will provide a

blueprint for how local recovery

efforts will target listed species

and other natural resource and

management concerns. Each

plan will identify and help direct

dollars to specific actions

needed—e.g., protection of key

habitats, replanting of biologically important riparian lands,

installation of culverts to reconnect streams—to recover listed

fish in tributary and estuary

habitats. Subbasin plans will help

guide actions under the All-H

hile the basinwide strategy takes a comprehensive approach to all aspects of the ecosystem, it recognizes that

recovery will require extensive coordination of federal Wactions with those of regional groups, states, tribes and

local entities—other important pieces of the recovery puzzle.
Paper and help prioritize offsite

mitigation actions under the

BiOps. In addition, these

subbasin plans can provide

building blocks for species

recovery plans. In the interim as

the plans come together, the

Council’s established Provincial

Review process, which brings

together scientists and federal

agencies to evaluate and fund

projects benefiting fish, has been

used to select projects now

under way.

Hatchery and Harvest

Improvements

Several states and tribes are

working with NOAA Fisheries

and USFWS to develop hatchery

and harvest reforms to help

recovery of listed fish in the

basin. One initiative is to develop

and implement Hatchery and

Genetic Management Plans that

will incorporate new, biologically

based, artificial propagation

strategies to enhance conservation of listed species throughout

the region. Complementing this

effort is the Council’s Artificial

Production Review and Evaluation process, which is an inventory and evaluation of salmon,

steelhead and resident fish

production programs in the

basin.

Another initiative involves

developing Fisheries Management

and Evaluation Plans to conserve

listed species while allowing sport

angling. These plans include

measures for selective harvest of

hatchery fish and non-native,

warm water fish to reduce competition with wild fish, as well as

gear and handling restrictions to

ensure listed fish are not harmed.

These initiatives play key roles in

the implementation of hatchery

and harvest actions called for

under the BiOps, and in development of individual subbasin plans.

standards for water

quality–impaired waterways throughout the state.

TMDLs specify the maximum amounts of pollutants a water body may

receive and still meet

water quality standards

• Replacing culverts to

increase salmon access to

habitat

• Developing agricultural

water quality management

plans

• Implementing new native

fish conservation and

hatchery management

policies that focus on

recovery and

sustainability of native

fish species. Conservation

plans will be developed in

coordination with

subbasin planning and

ESA recovery planning

• Refining water use allocations through water right

transfers and allocation of

conserved water

• Continuing to fund local

and private habitat initiatives and provide technical

support.

Washington’s Statewide Strategy

to Recover Salmon

Washington’s 1998 Salmon

Recovery Planning Act provided

the framework for developing

and funding habitat protection

and restoration projects. The

Statewide Strategy to Recover

Salmon guides programs to

improve the habitat of listed

species and assist in recovery

planning such as:

• Financing local salmon

recovery projects to

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Oregon,

Washington,

Idaho and Montana have authority over fish,

wildlife and

water resources

State

Recovery

Efforts

within their respective jurisdictions. State water resource

agencies, for example, control

how much water is withdrawn

from streams and reservoirs for

irrigation, municipal and industrial water supply and other

purposes. Some states have

developed their own management and recovery plans for

Columbia Basin fish and wildlife

resources. Coordination with

basinwide recovery efforts is

ensured through participation of

key state representatives in

regional groups.

Oregon Plan for Salmon and

Watersheds

The Oregon Plan for Salmon

and Watersheds is the state

framework for implementing

state activities that benefit listed

fish within the Oregon portion of

the river basin. Success depends

on implementing and integrating

four key parts of the plan—

agency actions, voluntary restoration actions, monitoring, and

science oversight—that together

provide innovative solutions to

support recovery of native fish,

improve water quality and

restore watersheds. Under the

plan, Oregon is:

• Developing Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL)
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Thinking Regionally—Acting Locally

Highlights of “On-The-Ground” Efforts Taking Place in the Basin’s

Willamette/Lower Columbia Region

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the Cascade and Coast Range Mountains. Urbanization, dams, varied topography and elevations, and a

Pacific Coast–influenced climate all affect the diverse biological communities native to this area. Here are

some examples of how this region is approaching salmon recovery, and how these efforts are supported by

state, tribal, regional or federal efforts.

Portland Residents Work Together to Improve Two Watersheds

The city of Portland, Oregon, through its River Renaissance Program, is leveraging federal funds and

entering into a partnership with local businesses, environmental groups, school districts and neighborhood

volunteers to help restore two important watersheds. These activities support the concepts of the

Basinwide Salmon Recovery Strategy and demonstrate how local groups are moving forward with restoration projects.

Johnson Creek Watershed Activities

Johnson Creek is an important habitat for threatened steelhead, coho and chinook salmon and cutthroat

trout. Over the past five years, more than 50 properties along the creek and its tributaries have been planted

with native vegetation and have

undergone other improvements

through a partnership between

the Johnson Creek Watershed

Council and the cities of Portland, Milwaukie and Gresham,

and Multnomah and Clackamas

counties.

Three thousand native trees

(willow, ash and Douglas fir) and

shrubs were planted. Blackberry

vines, ivy and other invasive

species were replaced with

native plants that will shade the

creek, provide cover and nutrihe Willamette/Lower Columbia (W/LC) region is defined by the 146 Columbia River miles from The

Dalles Dam to the Pacific Ocean, the tributaries in Washington and Oregon that feed into the

Columbia below The Dalles Dam, and the entire Willamette River Basin. This region includes the

Cowlitz and Lewis watersheds, along with numerous smaller tributaries that begin on the slopes of

At Kelley Creek in Oregon, students learn the importance of using native

plants for habitat restoration.

ents for aquatic species, and

decrease erosion.

Neighborhood volunteers

recently restored native plants

along 300 feet of the stream bank at Tideman. Milwaukie High School students helped restore the stream

bank at Johnson Creek Park. At Westmoreland, the city is partnering with the Corps to restore a quartermile stretch of Crystal Springs. A quarter mile of this tributary, now lined with concrete, will be rebuilt as a

natural riparian corridor and three fish-blocking culverts will be replaced to provide young salmon access

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to the restored area of the park

and high quality habitat farther

upstream.

Twenty acres of bramblecovered fields were converted

into a natural wetland designed

to store flood water, filter and

clean storm runoff, stabilize

Johnson Creek’s banks and

improve habitat for wildlife and

listed fish. Portions of Johnson

and Kelley creeks will have

natural meanders restored with

the help of federal and state

funding. Meanwhile, students

from nearby David Douglas

School District have adopted the

A Johnson Creek Watershed Council volunteer helps with a revegetation

project.

Columbia Slough Watershed Activities

The city of Portland, the Multnomah County Drainage District and the Corps are working to restore

Columbia Slough. The project involves building wetland “benches” that create a mini-flood plain in the

slough’s channel, increasing habitat and improving water quality by filtering out storm-water pollutants. In

addition, five culverts will be lowered, so the slough flows more evenly, preventing ponds of stagnant water

and algae growth. Unique habitat on the slough’s eastern end will also be restored and protected.

The city of Portland’s Watershed Revegetation Team cleared and replanted a five-acre site along the

nearby Peninsula Crossing Trail with Oregon ash, black cottonwood, red osier dogwood, snowberry and

other native plants. Volunteers then finished the job by planting an additional half acre, and restored native

vegetation along a new, 2,500-foot section of trail.

Skamania Residents Initiate Dam Removal on Duncan Creek

In 2001, residents in Skamania, Washington, sponsored a project to improve salmon spawning habitat in

local Duncan Creek. Accomplished with the help of the Governor’s Salmon Recovery Office, Lower Columbia Fish Recovery Board, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and other agencies, the dam removal

project supported the regional goal of recovering listed native chum salmon in the Columbia River.

Historically, Duncan Creek provided critical habitat for more than 500 spawning chum salmon until a

dam built in 1964 totally blocked fish passage. In 1999, a breached dike destroyed a nearby spawning area,

magnifying the importance of restoring fish passage to Duncan Creek. The homeowners association footed

64 percent of the project’s $769,000 cost. Chum salmon are once again using Duncan Creek for spawning

habitat.

site, where they have planted and

intend to maintain 3,000 native

trees and shrubs.
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Who are the Major Players in the Willamette/Lower Columbia Region?

In the W/LC region of the basin, three regional groups and an executive oversight committee have major

responsibilities for fish recovery. The regional groups—described briefly below—comprise elected

officials, local agency personnel, local landowners and concerned citizens who are working with federal,

state and technical personnel to oversee restoration actions on the ground, monitor and evaluate project

effectiveness, and ensure that recovery actions are completed on time. They are also responsible for crucial

subbasin planning in the W/LC region and will collaborate with NOAA Fisheries to integrate these subbasin

plans into species recovery plans.

• Willamette Restoration Initiative (WRI) – a public/private partnership that promotes and

coordinates efforts to protect and restore the health of the Willamette watershed. WRI’s Willamette

Restoration Strategy identifies actions to protect and restore fish and wildlife habitat, increase

populations of declining species, enhance water quality, and properly manage flood-plain areas

within the context of human habitation and growth.

• Lower Columbia River Estuary Partnership – a collaborative program of businesses and

economic interests, citizens, non-profit organizations, local governments, the states of Oregon and

Washington, and federal agencies working to protect and restore the estuary. The Partnership

focuses on increasing habitat and its functions, improving land use practices to protect ecosystems,

enhancing public education opportunities, improving coordination among multiple jurisdictions and

interests, and reducing conventional and toxic pollutants.

• Lower Columbia Fish Recovery Board – a Washington state entity with responsibility for

restoring listed fish populations within the state’s southwestern five-county region. With help from

its steering committee, composed of representatives from federal agencies, tribes, state agencies and

local governments, the board is developing an outline for a draft recovery plan that will implement

subbasin planning goals on the Washington side of the lower Columbia River and include habitat,

hatchery and fish passage measures developed as part of the hydro-relicensing process on the

Cowlitz and Lewis rivers.

• The Executive Committee for Lower Columbia and Willamette Salmonid Recovery supports

these three groups by ensuring a consistent and coordinated approach throughout the region, and by

tracking, monitoring and reviewing subbasin and recovery planning progress. Members comprise

representatives from each of the three regional groups, state agencies (Oregon and Washington

governors’ offices, both states’ Departments of Fish and Wildlife), the City of Portland (representing

local municipalities), Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission, federal agencies (NOAA

Fisheries, USFWS, BPA, Corps, EPA) and the Northwest Power and Conservation Council.
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A diversion on the Lemhi River directs water into a side channel for

irrigation while allowing fish to migrate upstream. (Photo courtesy of the

Bureau of Reclamation)

Meanwhile, in the Interior Columbia Region...

In the Interior Columbia Basin, similar improvements are under way to boost fish recovery. Thanks to

collaborative efforts, salmon now have an easier upstream route on the lower Lemhi River near Salmon,

Idaho. The project, sponsored by the Idaho Office of Species Conservation and funded by BPA, partnered

the Lemhi Soil and Water Conservation District and Natural Resource Conservation Service, the Bureau of

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gravel that are pushed up from the stream bottom by a bulldozer to create a barrier across the river channel. Push-up dams can block fish migrating upstream to reach their spawning beds and require annual

maintenance.

The two Lemhi diversions were replaced with structures built of rock and boulders that were specifically engineered to incorporate large, natural materials in order to be more stable and long-lived. A notched

“V” opening provides for fish passage over the structure during low stream flow periods. In addition, a

headgate was installed at one of the diversions to enable the irrigator to control the amount of water being

diverted.

Reclamation, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game Anadromous Fish Screen Shop, and

individual landowners and

irrigators.

Two existing irrigation diversions, sometimes called “push-up

dams,” on the lower Lemhi were

recently replaced with permanent, fish-friendly diversion

structures. Fish now have easier

passage, irrigators still have their

water, and the river will not have

to be disturbed each year to

create a push-up dam.

Irrigation diversions are

structures in the river that direct

water into an irrigation ditch or

pipeline. A push-up diversion

dam is built of cobbles and
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remove fish barriers and

restore and purchase

habitat, through grants

dispensed by the Salmon

Recovery Funding Board.

• Implementing new Washington Forest Practice

Rules

• Developing and implementing a comprehensive

monitoring strategy and

action plan for watershed

health, with a focus on

salmon recovery

• Acquiring water rights to

improve in-stream flows

and establishing stream

flow requirements for fish

• Developing TMDL

standards approved state

wide, with many

additional TMDLs under

development in the

Columbia subbasins

• Developing regional

recovery plans for ESAlisted fish in Puget Sound

and in four Columbia

Basin salmon recovery

regions in Washington.

Idaho’s Recovery Efforts

Idaho has undertaken a

number of efforts to restore fish

habitats and recover fishery

resources, including:

• Creating an Office of

Species Conservation in

2000 to work on subbasin

planning and coordinate

the efforts of all state

offices addressing natural

resource issues

• Developing subbasin plans

for the Clearwater, Salmon

and Snake Hells Canyon

subbasins

• Developing TMDL standards for several

subbasins containing

anadromous fish

• Continuing to screen

diversions throughout the

Salmon River Basin, a

partnership of the Idaho

Department of Fish and

Game, BPA, Reclamation

and NOAA Fisheries

• Developing a habitat

conservation agreement in

the Upper Salmon

subbasin that will address

riparian restoration and instream flows

• Developing a long-term

habitat conservation plan

in the Lemhi subbasin to

facilitate habitat restoration activities and ensure

adequate in-stream flows.

• Conducting studies and

developing new rules to

address water right conflicts and demands on

limited groundwater

resources, which affect

flows in streams essential

to listed fish species.

Montana Department of Fish,

Wildlife and Parks

In cooperation with a wide

range of state, federal and tribal

governments, local managers,

landowners, local governments

and other stakeholders, the

department is participating in the

following activities:

• Developing subbasin plans

for the Flathead and

Kootenai subbasins

• In 1997, updated a Flathead Basin habitat and

fish passage plan for the

Hungry Horse area that

now guides watershed

restoration efforts that

emphasize passive restoration and offsite projects,

particularly lake rehabilitations, to successfully

create genetic reserves for

native fish

• Stocking offsite waters for

Hungry Horse and Libby

dams mitigation

• Securing and restoring

habitats in areas where

fish migrations have been

blocked by road culverts,

dewatered stream reaches,

and irrigation diversions.

Tribal

Recovery

Efforts

Columbia

Basin Tribes are

active participants in recovery efforts. Each

tribe is pursuing

multiple projects

Counties and

cities throughout

the basin are also

developing action

agendas to aid

recovery of listed

species. New

Local

Recovery

Efforts

to restore habitat and enhance

salmon stock production, including involvement in developing

Hatchery and Genetic Management Plans. Projects undertaken

by the tribes are guided by their

own plans such as the Columbia

River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission plan for the Columbia Basin,

the “Spirit of the Salmon.” Some

of the tribes are lead entities for

subbasin planning in their areas

and almost all are participating

in subbasin planning efforts.

awareness about watershed and

wildlife health has resulted in

hundreds of local restorative
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Tackling the Science of Fish

Recovery

The two Columbia River Basin Technical

Recovery Teams (TRT) are among eight

such teams established from Puget Sound to

Southern California to set biological stanactions that partner local government, businesses, even school

children. Urban development and

construction projects ranging

from highway expansions to

marina dock repairs now must

address their environmental

impacts on local waterways as

part of their planning process.

Many local governments are also

participating in subbasin planning.

dards for recovery of the 26 ESA-listed West Coast salmon and

steelhead populations. Each team is composed of 10 to 12 experts

in such fields as salmon biology, population dynamics, conservation

biology and ecology. In addition, each team has at least one member who thoroughly understands the geographical area and salmonids that inhabit it.

The responsibilities of each team are challenging:

• Identify de-listing goals so those involved in recovery efforts

will know what to aim for and how well they are doing.

• Characterize the relationship between habitat conditions and

fish abundance.

• Identify factors causing decline and early actions important

to recovery.

• Identify research, monitoring and evaluation needs.

• Act as scientific advisors for groups actually carrying out

recovery activities.

Technical

Recovery

Teams

All of these efforts play a role in

completing the bigger puzzle by

contributing to the region’s

success in recovery efforts. The

knowledge and experience gained from

these actions—from the smallest tributary

improvement to widespread changes in

dam operations—are only the building

blocks for recovery. They must be prioritized and integrated to create a comprehensive recovery plan.

Completing the Puzzle to

Achieve Species Recovery
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Recovery Planning for Resident Fish

Council’s subbasin planning.

The plan includes the most

recent technical information on

the major tributaries where bull

trout are present. It identifies the

limiting factors to bull trout

productivity, potential actions

that would lead to recovery, and

population levels necessary to

achieve recovery. Review of

the draft plan is an important

opportunity for stakeholder

input. The final will reflect input

from recovery teams, scientific

peer review, local and regional

interest groups and the public.

The management actions required for bull trout recovery are

likely to complement actions for

salmon and steelhead in the

basin.

he USFWS is working

closely with subbasin

planners to help identify strategies to reRecovery Planning for Salmon and Steelhead

Columbia from the estuary to

The Dalles Dam with five listed

ESUs; and the Interior Columbia,

the rest of the basin with seven

listed ESUs. It then established

TRTs for each domain, to address multiple ESUs across one

or more subbasins. For Phase I

of recovery planning, these

science teams are working

closely with existing teams and

conservation efforts, including

subbasin planning, to draft ESU

de-listing goals by September

2003.

Phase II is the formal recovery planning stage, when all the

puzzle pieces will fall into place.

To identify actions necessary to

achieve de-listing goals, NOAA

Fisheries hopes to rely to the

extent possible on local planning

efforts, such as subbasin planning and regional efforts. TRTidentified goals will establish the

yardstick for prioritizing these

actions, but existing efforts will

continue to play major roles in

identifying and implementing

overall recovery actions. NOAA

Fisheries ultimately must ensure

that individual plan components

are integrated into a coherent,

focused recovery plan at the ESU

and regional scales.

s noted, the ESA

requires recovery

plans to contain Aobjective, measurable

goals for de-listing and a comprehensive list of actions necessary

to achieve those goals. To that

end, NOAA Fisheries has begun a

two-phase process for developing recovery objectives and

actions for each of the 12 “evolutionarily significant units”

(ESUs) of Pacific salmon and

steelhead listed as threatened or

endangered in the Columbia

River Basin. The agency divided

the basin into two “recovery

domains:” the Willamette/Lower

store a variety of fish, wildlife,

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and plants and to identify habitats that are important to conservation and recovery of ESA listed

species. The agency has developed a recovery plan for

Kootenai River white sturgeon,

and recently released a draft

recovery plan for bull trout in the

Columbia Basin for review and

comment.

The draft bull trout recovery

plan will be helpful to subbasin

planners because it includes one

chapter for each of 22 recovery

units, many of which are specific

to watersheds identified in the
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Working Together Toward Success

rchestrating such an

ambitious species

recovery effort will not Obe easy. No matter

how technically accurate recovery plans are, without the support and involvement of local

citizens, municipalities, private

landowners, and state, tribal and

federal agencies, such a staggering undertaking will not succeed.

That is why so many groups

throughout the Northwest are

working hard to ensure their

efforts are coordinated to restore

the region’s natural resources to

sustainable and healthy levels.

When all is said and done, we

want our children, and their

children, to experience a Northwest with abundant wild fish

runs and full ecological diversity.

How to Get More Information

information about annual

implementation plans and

progress. You can also find

previous issues of Citizen

Update, internet links for related

activities and documents,

including the NOAA Fisheries

and USFWS Biological Opinions.

You can call the Federal Caucus

toll free at 1-888-921-4886, or email them at

federalcaucus@bpa.gov.

The mailing address is

Federal Caucus

c/o BPA-P

P.O. Box 3621

Portland, OR 97208

For more information on the

All-H Salmon Recovery Strategy,

the Federal Caucus, or Columbia

River Basin fish and wildlife

recovery, please visit the Federal

Caucus Web site at

www.salmonrecovery.gov. This

Web site also includes