### We need the following questions to ensure votes from all groups

**have been fairly represented in this surve**  **y.**

OM B Control No. 2090
- 0028 Approval expires 6/30/2015 **Question 20**  **:** Wh at year were you born? 19__ __ **Question 21 :**  Are you male or female? O Male O Female **Question 22 :**  How many years have you lived in Oregon ? ______________ **Question 23 :**  Do you regularly purchase a license to fish in Oregon? O Yes O No **Question 24 :**  Does anyone else in your household regularly purchase a license to

fish in Oregon? O Yes O No **Question 25 :**  Including yourself, ho w many people currently live at your

residence? ______________ **Question 26 :**  How many of th ose people are 18 or older? ________________ **Question 27 :**  Does anyone in your household belong to an environmental

organization (

such as Sierra Club, or National Audubon Society ) ? O Yes O No **Question 28 :**  From the following options, do you consider yourself to be: O American Indian O Latino/Hispanic O Asian O W hite O African American O Other

__________________________ **Question 29 :**  From the following income categories , please indicate the one that

includes your estimated household income for 2012. O Less than $20,000 O $80,000 to $99,000 O $20,000 to $39,999 O $100,0 00 to $149,999 O $40,000 to $59,999 O Above $150,000 O $60,000 to $79,999 

# Oregon Salmon and Steelhead Recovery

**What do YOU think should be done?** **Definitely Neutral**  **Definitely WOULD**  **N OT**  **WOULD support**  **support** 

### 1 2 3 4 5

2 

# 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 help 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 by the EPA and is sponsored by the EPA. **Question 19:** Rate the importance of different recreational activities for your household along or on rivers and streams

**Ac tivity**  **Not Somewhat Very**

**Important Important Important** 

### Walking **1 2 3 4 5 Biking**  **1 2 3 4 5 Camping**  **1 2 3 4 5 Swimming**  **1 2 3 4 5 Wildlife view**  **ing 1 2 3 4 5**  **Motorized boating 1 2 3 4 5** 
**Unmotorized boating**  **1 2 3 4 5 Catch & Release Fishing**  **1 2 3 4 5 Catch & Keep Fishing**  **1 2 3 4 5 Picnicking**  **1 2 3 4 5 Other_________________** 

**____ __________________**  **1 2 3 4 5**

23 **Fish species**

 There are several species of salmon and steelh ead trout in Oregon. These fish live most of their life in the ocean, but return to Oregon rivers and streams to spawn. There are two kinds of fish: wild fish , reproducing on their own; and hatchery fish , bred in fish hatcheries and released to provide fishing opportunities. **Location**

 This survey is about the salmon and steelhead in the Wi llamette River watershed only , shown in the map on the next page . The W illamette River is the main river passing through the most populated parts of Oregon, such as Portland, Salem, and Eugene. F ish have to sw im through Portland to get to any part of the upper W ill amette watershed

. Major tributary rivers included in the W illamette watershed are the Clackamas, Mo lalla, North Santiam, South Santiam, Calapooia, McKenzie, and Middle Fork Wi llamette Rivers. **Population numbers** 

 The total number of wild and hatchery salmon and steelhead returning to the Wi llamette 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 watershed as counted at the Bo nneville Dam fish ladder.In the Wi llamette River watershed , about 75% of the returning salmon and steelhead are hatchery fish, the remaining 25% are wild fish. Scientists believe that over 1 million wild salmon and steelhead historically returned to the Wi llamette watershed

. Current wild salmon and steelhead returns to the Wi llamette are about 20,000 fish. This is less than 5 % of estimated historical wild returns. The combined effects of fish harvest, hatchery fish interactions, dams and f lood control, and habitat alterat ions have led to these declines. Declining abundance and reductions in range provided scientific evidence for Wi llamette River Spring Chinook and W inter S teelhead to be listed as "Threatened" under the fede ral Endangered Species Act. These listings occurred in 1999

. 

# Willamette Basin **of Oregon**



# BACKGROUND

3 **Question 15:**

 How ofte n do members of your household engage in recreation where rivers or streams are an important part of the experience? Examples are a trip to a river, or walking along a path alongside a river. Just write “0” if there are no such trips and go to Q13. _____________ trips per year.

 How many of those trips are within a 1 hour drive of your home? _____________ trips per year.

 How many of those trips are within your city or community? _____________ trips per year.

 How many of those trips involve any portion of the Wi llamette River ? _____________ trips per year.

 How many of those trips involve any portion of the Wi llamette watershed ? _____________ trips per year. **Question 16**  : Before reading this survey were you aware that the salmon and steelhead in the Wi llamette watershed were considered “Threatened” under the Endangered Species Act? O Yes O No **Question 17** : Before reading this survey were you aware that the sta te of Oregon has hatcheries for salmon and steelhead? O Yes O No **Question 18** : Before reading this survey w ere you aware that most of the salmon and steelhead in the W illamette watershed were hatchery fish ? O Yes O No

22 

# Wild Fish Background

 The wild salmon and steelhead in the W illamette River watershed were listed as “Threatened” under the Endangered Species Act in 199 9. These fish are called Spring Chinook and W inter Steelhead.

 Threatened means the populations are not self
- sustaining. Chinook have a 60% to 100% chance of going extinct in the next 100 yrs.

 These wild salmon and steelhead cannot be harvested by recrea tional or commercial anglers in the Wi llamette watershed.

 There are other Threatened or Endangered fish in Oregon. Another well
- known example is coastal Coho Salmon.

 There are other Wi llamette watershed fisheries, such as sturgeon, a wild and native fish. T here are also non
- native fish species that are self
- sus taining in Oregon, such as bass, with largemouth and smallmouth bass fisheries in the W illamette River watershed.

 There are other fisheries within Oregon but outside of the W illamette watershed. T here are wild salmon and steelhead fisheries in Central Oregon, Eastern Oregon, and throughout Oregon’s Coast Range. 

### Wi llamette watershed boundary 

# The following question will ask you for your views on hatchery versus wild salmon and steelhead in the Willamette watershed

A large reduction in the number of hatchery sal mon and steelhead in the Wi llamette watershed may be required to meet wild fish recovery goals. These reductions may be necessary to reduce competition between hatchery and wild fish for resources and habitat. Reduc tions in the number of hatchery fish in the W illamette watershed would mean fewer salmon and steelhead available for recreational anglers to catch and bring home.

**Question 14**

. Wo uld your household support a large reduction in hatchery salmon and steelhe ad in the W illamette watershed if it were necessary to5 **Question 11** : If you ever voted for “No Intervention” in Q6 to Q8, why? **CHOOSE ONE A NSWER THA**  **T FITS BEST** O NEVER CHOSE “No Intervention”. O No ability to pay. O Recovery options were not worth it to my household. O I don’t believe wild fish recovery is realistic

. O Prefer to make a donation than to increase taxes. O O ther reason: ____________________________________
**Question 12 :**  If you voted for an option of Wi ld f ish recovery in Q6 to Q8, why? **CHOOSE ONE A NSWER THA**  **T FITS BEST** O NEVER CHOSE any type of wild fish recovery. O I want there to be more wild fish for catch & release fishing. O I want wild fish recovery regardless of fishing opportunities. O O ther reason: ____________________________________
**Question 13 :**  If you voted for any type of recovery in Q6 to Q8, what best describes your choice of Time to Recovery? **CHOOSE ONE A NSWER THA**  **T FITS BEST** O Wh en I could afford it, I wanted recovery to happen sooner than later. O The time to recovery is not important to my household. O O ther reason: ____________________________________ 

# Hatchery Fish Background

20  As noted earlier, fish hatcheries produce the majority of the salmon and steelhead that return to the W il lamette River watershed

. There are 33 fish hatcheries in Oregon, and 7 fish hatcheries in the W illamette River watershed. The primary reason for Oregon fish hatcheries is to replace losses in wild fish.

 H atchery fish can be harvested, and are marked with a clipped fin so they can be distinguished from wild fish. W ild salmon and steelhead cannot be harvested i n the Wi llamette watershed. T hus, anglers who are mainly interested in harvest prefer hatchery salmon and steelhead

.

 Almost none of the salmon sold in Oregon comes from the W illamette watershed since it is such a small percentage of the W est Coast salmon fishery.

 Hatcheries are not the same thing as pri vately
- owned or corporation
- owned ‘fish farms’. Hatcheries release fish into the wild, but farmed fish are bred and harvested in captivity.

 Because hatchery fish can crowd wild fish out of their habitat, fish managers reduce impacts on wild fish by releas ing hatchery fish at a different time of year, or by releasing hatchery fish in places where wild fish are not normally found.

Hatchery Spring Chinook Salmon at Willamette Hatchery in Oakridge, Oregon**Strongly agree**  **Ag ree**  **Neither agree**  **nor d**  **isagree Disagree**  **Strongly d**  **isagree**

I would choose the same options in an

actual referendum **1 2**  **3 4**  **5**

I t is important to restore Wi llam ette watershed salmon and steelhead no ma tter how much it costs **1 2**  **3 4**  **5**
I do not believe I should have to pay to contribute to wild salmon and steelhead recover y in the W illam ette watershed **1 2**  **3 4**  **5**
I think wild salmon and steelhead recover y in the W illam ette watershed will happen too far into the future to be

worthwhile **1 2**  **3 4**  **5**
Wh en thinking about m y choices, I was thinking more about the impacts to future generations of people than the current

generation **1 2**  **3 4**  **5** 

# THIS SURVEY WILL ASK YOU TO MAKE **CHOICES ABOUT WILLAMETTE WILD**  **SALMON & STEELHEAD RECOVERY** 

6 19 **Question 10.** Think ing about the choices you made in Q6 to Q8 , please rate how much you agree or disagree with ea ch of the following statements (c ircle the number that matches your answer )

.



###  Recovery would mean the populations would be self
- sustaining. There would no longer be a significant risk of extinction in the next 100 years for wild W illamette watershed salmon and steelhead.

 Since there is no legal harvest of wild salmon and steelhead in the Wi llamette watershed, these w i ld fish tend to be important to people who like the idea of fish reproducing on their own.

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

# THIS SURVEY WILL ALSO ASK YOU TO MAKE **CHOICES ABOUT THE**  **TIME TO RECOVERY FOR WILD SALMON & STEELHEAD** 

 If there is public support for wild salmon and steelhead recovery for the Wi llamette watershed, it would be a long
- term process.

 The schedule of recovery would be anywhere from 15 yrs to 50 yrs, depending on the methods of recovery chosen, and the amount of recovery funding.**Effect on my ans wers**  **for questions**  **6 -**  **8 Very**  **Low Moderate**  **Very High** 

. Wa nting m ore fishing opportunity for m y household Wa nting m ore fishing opportunity for others Wa nting to keep wild fish from going extinct Wa nting to improve fisher y conditions close to m y home Wa nting to im prove fisher y conditions for future generations Environmental conditions besides fish Wa nting to minimize increases in taxes or costs to m y household Other_______________________ **Question 9**  **:** How much did the following factors affect yo ur answers for Q6 to Q8? Check one box for each.

18 7 

### Recovery planners have identified a range of necessary management strategies to recover wild fish, all of which cost money. The funding would come from a new tax that would be in effect for 25 years . Money collected from the tax would be used to implement programs that address the primary threats to fish recovery. Some examples include:

 Retrofit dams to allow fish to swim past, such as fish ladders.

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

 Buy or lease more waterfront land and dedicate it to habitat restoration.

 Change the schedule of water releases from dams to help fish migration.

 Reduce pollution from urban and agricultural areas. 

# CHANGES CONSIDERED IN THIS SURVEY **WOULD REQUIRE HIGHER TAXES Willamette**  **Watershed No**  **Intervention Option**  **A Option**  **B** 

# Wild **Salmon & Steelhead**  

# Threatened (20,000 wild fish returning) 

# Broad

Recovery (70 ,000 wild fish returning ) 

# Broad

Recovery (70 ,000 wild fish returning ) 

# Time to **Recov ery**  **Salmon & Steelhead**  

# No Recovery 1 5 years 50 years 

# $ **Cost to Your Household per y**  **ear for 25 years**  

# $0 Increase in Annual t axes fo r 25 years 

# $ **200** Increase in Annual taxes for 25 years 

# $ **75** Increase in Annual taxes for 25 years

**HOW WOULD YOU**  **VOTE? (CHOOSE ONE**  **ONLY)** 

### I vote for

**No Intervention**  **for the Willamette**  **Watershed** I vote for **Option A for the**  **Willamette Watershed**  I vote for **Option B for the**  **Willamette Watershed**  

## Willamette **Wild Salmon and Steelhead Options**  **Question 8.** Given a choice between **No Intervention** , **Option A ,**  and **Option B** for the Wi llamette River watershed , how would you vote?



###  **No Intervention** 
- Currently Spring Chinook and Wi nter Steelhead are both listed as “Threatened” species. The risk of Spring Chinoo k going extinct in the next 100 years would remain between 60 and 100 percent. Estimated returns of wild salmon and steelhead to the rivers of the Wi llamette watershed currently total about 20,000 fish per year . There IS NOT an ability to harvest these fish, but there is catch and release fishing in the appropriate season.  **Minimal Recovery**
- This option would use the tools listed on page 7 to create the conditions for more wild fish to reproduce on their own. A Minimal Recovery target would mean both Spring Chinook and Wi nter Steelhead would no longer be a “Threatened” species and there would no longer be a significant risk of them going extin ct in the Wi llamette watershed i n the next 100 years. The estimated returns in the Wi llamette watershed would be about 40,000 fish per year. There WO ULD NOT be an ability to harvest these fish, but there is catch and release fishing in the appropriate seas on.  **Broad Recovery**
- This option would more aggressively use the tools listed on page 7 to create the conditions for more wild fish to reproduce on their own. A Broad Recovery target would mean both Spring Chinook and W inter Steelhead would no longer be a “Threatened” species and there would no longer be a significant risk of them going extinct in the Wi llamette watershed in the next 100 years. The estimated returns in the W illamette watershed would be about 70,000 fish per year. There WO ULD NOT be an abil ity to harvest these fish, but there is catch and release fishing in the appropriate season.

17 8**Willamette Watershed**  **No Intervention**  **Option A**  **Option B**  

# Wild **Salmon & Steelhead**  

# Threatened (20,000 wild fish returning) 

# Minimal

Recovery (40 ,000 wild fish returning ) 

# Broad

Recovery (70 ,000 wild fish returning ) 

# Time to **Recov ery**  **Salmon & Steelhead**  

# No Recovery 15 years 50 years 

# $ **Cost to Your Household per y**  **ear for 25 years**  

# $0 Increase in Annual t axes fo r 25 years 

# $ **120** Increase in Annual taxes for 25 years 

# $ **75** Increase in Annual taxes for 25 years

**HOW WOULD YOU VOTE?**  **(CHOOSE ONE ONLY)**  

### I vote for

**No Intervention**  **for the Willamette**  **Watershed** I vote for **Option A for the**  **Willamette Watershed**  I vote for **Option B for the**  **Willamette Watershed** 

16 9 

###  **No Recovery**
- If “No Intervention” is selected for wild fish, there is no schedule of recovery

.  **15 y ears**  - The minimum time to recovery being considered is 15 years. This option would apply to whichever type of recovery is selected.  **25 y ears**  - The next time to recovery being considered is 25 years

. This option would apply to whichever type of recovery is selected.  **50 ye**  **ars** - The longest time to recovery being considered is 50 year s. This option would apply to whichever type of recovery is selected. 

## Ques **tion 7**
**.** Given a choice between **No Intervention** , **Option A ,**  and **Option B** for the W illamette River watershed , how would you vote?



## Time **to Recov ery** **Options** Broad Recovery Minimal Recovery Threatened



### 40,000 fish 70 , 000 fish

20,000 fish & high risk of extinction **Current Time**  **Time to Recovery** **Willamette Watershed**  **No Intervention**  **Option A**  **Option B**  

# Wild **Salmon & Steelhead**  

# Threatened (20,000 wild fish returning) 

# Minimal

Recovery (40 ,000 wild fish returning ) 

# Minimal

Recovery (40 ,000 wild fish returning ) 

# Time to **Recov ery**  **Salmon & Steelhead**  

# No Recovery 15 years 25 years 

# $ **Cost to Your Household per y**  **ear for 25 years**  

# $0 Increase in Annual t axes fo r 25 years 

# $ **120** Increase in Annual taxes for 25 years 

# $ **60** Increase in Annual taxes for 25 years

**HOW WOULD YOU VOTE?**  **(CHOOSE ONE ONLY)**  

### I vote for

**No Intervention for the**  **Willamette Watershed**  I vote for **Option A for the**  **Willamette Watershed**  I vote for **Option B for the**  **Willamette Watershed** 

15 10 

## Question 6
**.** Given a choice between **No Intervention** , **Option A ,**  and **Option B** for the W illamette River watershed , how would you vote? 

## Question 1

. How well do you feel you underst ood what you just read about Recovery options? Please check one box. 

##  I understood it very well. 

##  I have gained some understanding, but parts of it were hard to understand. 

##  I didn’t understand it at all.



## Question 2

. How well do you feel you underst ood what you just read about Time to Recovery options? Please check one box. 

##  I understood it very well. 

##  I have gained some understanding, but parts of it were hard to understand. 

##  I didn’t understand it at all.**Issue Importance (Rank 1**  **- 6)** 
a. National security & defense

_______ b. Public health and safety

_______ c. Poverty and hunger

_______ d. Environmental protection

_______ e. Economic improvement and jobs

_______ f. Education

_______

**Not A t A**  **ll Moderately Very Important Important Important** 

. Wa ter quality safe for swimming Reducing flood damages Conditions for all fish and wildlife Conditions for salmon & steelhead Protecting drinking water quality Cleaning up trash Providing more recreational access Other________________________

14 11 

# AS YOU VOTE, REMEMBER THESE **IMPORTANT DETAILS**

 There are 3 different voting questions, each on a different page.
 Review each question carefully. Your votes are important and will help determine the best option for wild salmon and steelhead in the Wi llamette watershed

.  Voting for recovery would not mean the ability to harvest wild salmon and steelhead.
 Costs to your household will range from $0 to $ 200 per year , depending on the option . All funds are legally guaranteed to be used for the designated purpose
.  The “ No Intervention ” option shows current condition at no added cost

. Choose this if other options are not worth it to your household. 

## The next tw **o questions help us understand y our attitudes on**  **public issues besides Willamette salmon & steelhead issues**  

## Question **3**
**.** Please rank the following, with 1 the most important and 6 the least important. Use each number only once.



## Question **4**
**.** How would you rate the following issues for Oregon rivers and streams?**Willamette Watershed**  **No Intervention**  **Option A**  **Option B**  

# Wild **Salmon & Steelhead**  

# Threatened (20,000 wild fish returning) 

# Minimal

R ecovery (40 ,000 wild fish returning ) 

# Broad

R ecovery (70 ,000 wild fish returning ) 

# Time to **Recov ery**  **Salmon & Steelhead**  

# No Recovery 1 5 years 50 years 

# $ **Cost to Your Household per y**  **ear for 25 years**  

# $0 Increase in Annual t axes fo r 25 years 

# $ **120** Increase in Annual taxes for 25 years 

# $ **75** Increase in Annual taxes for 25 years

**HOW WOULD YOU VOTE?**  **(CHOOSE ONE ONLY)**  

### I vote for

**No Intervention**  for the W illamette Wa tershed I vote for **Option A** for the W illamette Wa tershed I vote for **Option B** for the W illamette Wa tershed **Willamette Watershed**  **Not Somewhat Very Important Important Important** 


### Wild **Salmon & Steelhead From:**  **Threatened To:**  **Minimal Recovery**  **1 2 3 4 5**

**Wild Salmon & Steelhead**  **From: Threatened**  **To: Broad Recovery**  **1 2 3 4 5**

**Wild Salmon & Steelhead Speed of Recovery**  **1 2 3 4 5** 

# $ **Increased Cost to your**  **Household per Year** 

### 1 2 3 4 5 **If you prefer No Change**  **, check here**  **If you prefer Option A**  **, check here**  **If you prefer**

**Option B, check here**  

#   

13 12 

# BEFORE YOU VOTE, **HOW WOULD YOU RATE THE IMPORTANCE OF**  **THESE CHANGES IN GENERAL?**  **Question 5**
**.** Rate each of the following in terms of their importance to your household . For each, use “1” for the least important, and “5” for the most important. 

# EXAMPLE VOTE **voting q uestions will look like the sample below**