1. EFFORT BEGINS TO AMEND REGIONAL FISH, WILDLIFE Posted on Wednesday, October 01, 2003 (PST)

The process of amending the Columbia Basin's $127 million regional fish and wildlife program began Wednesday with a call for broad rules to live by, not specific measures for managing fish and wildlife populations. The Northwest Power Planning Council hopes to rebuild the program from the top down, establishing first a comprehensive framework of goals and objectives based on broad scientific principles. The Council is asking that policies, principles and goals be offered that can be ... Read More...

2. GOVERNANCE TALKS CONTINUE DESPITE LOCKE HOLDOUT Posted on Wednesday, October 01, 2003 (PST)

Despite a stand-offish policy stance reiterated this week by Washington Gov. Gary Locke, the governors of Oregon, Idaho and Montana decided Thursday to forge ahead with a plan to bring the region more authority in fish and wildlife recovery decision-making. Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber, Montana Gov. Marc Racicot and Idaho Gov. Dirk Kempthorne have indicated they feel the region needs a firmer grip on that power, particularly on how Bonneville Power Administration recovery money is ... Read More...

3. MONTANA TEMPORARILY NIXES BASIN FORUM Posted on Wednesday, October 01, 2003 (PST)

The Columbia Basin Forum will meet Jan. 19 without representation from Montana. As it set an ambitious agenda, Stan Grace, who represents Montana on both the Forum and on the Northwest Power Planning Council, declined to attend, saying most of the issues are being debated in other forums. "I've anguished a bit over this decision, however while I believe the elements of the draft agenda are the pertinent regional issues that we struggle with I yet see little opportunity for this body to ... Read More...

4. NMFS COMMENCES 4(D) PUBLIC HEARINGS Posted on Wednesday, October 01, 2003 (PST)

About 30 people offered opinions Tuesday during the National Marine Fisheries Services first of 15 scheduled public hearings in the Northwest to accept comments on its proposed 4(d) rules for 14 species of steelhead and salmon listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act. At the Portland hearing, NMFS Rob Jones and Rosemary Furfey emphasized in their introductory remarks that the rules are drafts and that NMFS seeks constructive feedback. They also emphasized that all ... Read More...

5. AGENCIES RELEASE HYDRO BIOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT Posted on Wednesday, October 01, 2003 (PST)

Federal agencies that operate dams in the Columbia River Basin released in December their assessment of the effects of the dams on endangered salmon and steelhead, saying the operations would adversely affect six species listed as endangered or threatened in 1999. While they chose to not recommend changes to hydro operations, they did ask to begin consultations with the National Marine Fisheries Service to develop a new Federal Columbia River Power System biological opinion. In the ... Read More...

6. WASHINGTONS CASSIDY PICKED TO LEAD NWPPC Posted on Wednesday, October 01, 2003 (PST)

Second-year Council member Larry Cassidy of Washington was elected Wednesday as chairman of the Northwest Power Planning Council as it prepares to reshape its Columbia Basin fish and wildlife program and establish new procedures for allocating funding of fish and wildlife restoration projects. The leadership change comes as federal agencies approach important decisions on how to best recover listed Basin salmon and steelhead species. Now is the time for action on fish and wildlife recovery Read More...

7. TROUT SUPPLEMENTATION PLAN OUT FOR REVIEW Posted on Wednesday, October 01, 2003 (PST)

The Northwest Power Planning Council has asked the public to judge whether benefits of a plan to supplement westslope cutthroat trout populations with hatchery-produced juvenile fish outweigh the potential risks to native cutthroat. The westslope cutthroat are being considered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for listing under the Endangered Species Act. A USFWS status review team completed its report in September following a 1997 petition asking that the cutthroat be listed ... Read More...

8. TRIBES SEEK BIA CONTRACT FOR FISHING SITES Posted on Wednesday, October 01, 2003 (PST)

Three of the four tribes with treaty-reserved fishing rights on the Columbia River have asked the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (CRITFC) to contract with the BIA to invest federal funds and use the interest to operate and maintain Indian fishing-access sites on the Columbia River. The Umatillas, Warm Springs, and Nez Perce Indians want CRITFC to contract with the Bureau of Indian Affairs to assume the responsibility over operation and maintenance of the "in-lieu" treaty ... Read More...

9. FORECAST PEGS MODEST FALL CHINOOK RETURN Posted on Wednesday, October 01, 2003 (PST)

If early forecasts prove correct, it appears that Columbia River-Snake river fall chinook runs may not show the same leap in numbers that is expected of their spring chinook kin in 2000. The spring run is expected to the best since 1977 with much of the credit given to improved ocean conditions. The fall chinook run is expected to be average or below average compared to recent years. A preliminary projection produced by state, federal and tribal harvest specialists says 232,000 ... Read More...

10. STAKEHOLDERS LEERY OF FRAMEWORK PRODUCTS Posted on Wednesday, October 01, 2003 (PST)

Representatives of two "stakeholder" groups expressed apprehension Wednesday about the products that are about to emerge from the Northwest Power Planning Council's Multi-Species Framework analytical process. A variety of interest groups are now awaiting the results of what has been described as a massive outpouring of data from the framework process' computer modeling effort. The framework ecological work group and science steering committee are in the process of reviewing the ... Read More...

11. CLEAN WATER PLAN FOR GRANDE RONDE RELEASED Posted on Wednesday, October 01, 2003 (PST)

Much of the upper Grande Ronde River in Northeast Oregon does not meet state water quality standards, but the solutions are as simple as planting trees, shrubs and grass along streams, improving in-stream flow and limiting point source pollution discharges to non-summer dates, according to a report released by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality in December. The report consists of an assessment of the rivers water quality in a Total Daily Maximum Load water quality report ... Read More...

12. TRIBES, IRRIGATORS NEGOTIATE UMATILLA PROJECT Posted on Wednesday, October 01, 2003 (PST)

An agreement being negotiated between the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, Westland Irrigation District near Hermiston and the Bureau of Reclamation could lead to federal legislation for a third and final phase of the Umatilla Basin Project in Northeastern Oregon. The first and second phases of the federal water-exchange project, which cost $56 million over nine years, delivers Columbia River water to three irrigation districts, which, in exchange, leave water ... Read More...

13. ODFW STAFF RECOMMENDS SQUIRREL LISTING Posted on Wednesday, October 01, 2003 (PST)

Biologists at the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife will recommend next week listing the Washington ground squirrel as endangered under Oregons Endangered Species Act. The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission will consider the listing at its next Commission meeting Jan. 21. ODFW said the proposed listing is due to a decline in the squirrels population and a danger that its habitat is declining due to an expansion of farmland in eastern Oregon. If listed, ground squirrels could not ... Read More...