1. E-SCREEN, SMOLT MORTALITY LINK Posted on Wednesday, October 01, 2003 (PST)

Operations related to the testing of prototype extended length screens are suspected as a cause of a spike in mortality among juvenile salmon directed through John Day Dam's bypass system. Researchers on Monday told a multi-agency technical panel that test operations of the screens seemed to mirror an increase in mortality as measured at the dam's new $32 million smolt monitoring facility. It was built so researchers could check the fishes' condition following passage through the ... Read More...

2. LOCALS LEERY OF MULTI-SPECIES Posted on Wednesday, October 01, 2003 (PST)

A group of Montanans got a glimpse of the bureaucracy that manages the Columbia River system this week, and some didn't like what they saw. Speaking to a panel of federal, state and tribal officials involved with the Multi-Species Framework process, citizens at the Whitefish meeting Monday night were exasperated by the complexity of the process. Some felt alienated, having just learned about it. "Where is all the direction coming from? Where is the budget coming from? And what is ... Read More...

3. BIOLOGIST BOLSTERS RESIDENT FISHES' Posted on Wednesday, October 01, 2003 (PST)

Things are slowly improving for Northwest Montana's resident fish, such as the bull trout, despite competition from introduced species and despite their poor cousin status among Columbia Basin fish and wildlife policy makers. That's the assessment of Brian Marotz of the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks. He has been involved in efforts to implement the Hungry Horse Dam Fisheries Mitigation Program to improve fish habitat and passage In a Tuesday presentation to ... Read More...

4. COUNCIL RELEASES HATCHERY REVIEW Posted on Wednesday, October 01, 2003 (PST)

A broad set of artificial production policy recommendations intended to guide funding decisions was approved by the Northwest Power Planning Council Wednesday for public review. Implementation recommendations also included in the document suggest processes for evaluating hatchery and artificial production program performance and for deciding whether programs should continue to be funded. The document notes a 10-year trend in the Columbia River Basin away from the historical approach ... Read More...

5. TERNS CROWD RICE ISLAND, LAY Posted on Wednesday, October 01, 2003 (PST)

The number of Caspian terns in the Columbia River estuary is leveling out and the favored nesting spot continues to be Rice Island. However, researchers continue to be optimistic that the plan to move the birds will eventually work even though birds are building nests and laying eggs and harassment tactics to move the birds off Rice Island are ceasing. Although an Army Corps of Engineers compromise plan called for moving at least 80 percent of the birds from the nations largest tern ... Read More...

6. WILD FISH POLICY EXEMPTION BILL Posted on Wednesday, October 01, 2003 (PST)

A bill that would exempt three Columbia Basin tribes from Oregons Wild Fish Policy moved out of a legislative committee this week and onto the House floor. If approved, the bill would give the tribes authority to use hatchery supplementation to increase numbers of salmon and steelhead and, some say, would circumvent processes already in motion. House Bill 3609, introduced by Rep. Jason Atkinson,R-Jacksonville, passed out of the Joint Stream Restoration and Species Enhancement ... Read More...

7. LOCKE TO SIGN SALMON LEGISLATION Posted on Wednesday, October 01, 2003 (PST)

Washington Gov. Gary Locke will sign salmon recovery legislation that includes new logging regulations and the creation of a citizens panel to oversee spending on state restoration projects. Though the governors office is still analyzing the legislation, Locke is thrilled that the forestry piece made it through this weeks three-day special session, and he will sign the bill, said Sandi Snell, a spokesperson for Locke. The Forest and Fish Agreement would increase streamside buffers, ... Read More...

8. WASHINGTON PROPOSES NEW SHORELINE Posted on Wednesday, October 01, 2003 (PST)

Washington state is proposing changes to 27-year-old rules that govern how individuals and communities can affect the states stream, marine and lake shorelines. The proposed changes are part of the states strategy for salmon recovery. The proposal requires Washington counties and cities to update their shoreline master plans to include stricter rules for installing bulkheads that harm salmon habitat, for removing shoreline plants that keep banks from eroding and create habitat for ... Read More...

9. SMALL PUD ENDORSES DAM BREACHING Posted on Wednesday, October 01, 2003 (PST)

An Oregon public utility endorsed this week breaching the four lower Snake River dams saying that a return to a free-flowing river would significantly restore endangered fish runs in the entire Columbia River Basin. The Emerald Public Utility District, which serves about 17,000 customers in the southern Willamette Valley of Oregon, claims to be the first electric utility in the country to endorse removal of the four dams. Emerald believes there are reasonable and economic solutions ... Read More...

10. NMFS PROPOSES CRITICAL HABITAT Posted on Wednesday, October 01, 2003 (PST)

The National Marine Fisheries Service has scheduled ten workshops to take public comment on its proposals to designate critical habitat for protected salmon and steelhead and to change the listing status of Umpqua River cutthroat trout. NMFS is proposing to designate certain areas as critical habitat in the belief that special management of these areas would have an impact on the health and restoration of endangered species. It is proposing critical habitat for Oregon coast coho, and ... Read More...

11. NPPC EYES BUDGET CUTS Posted on Wednesday, October 01, 2003 (PST)

Budget cuts continue, though at a more relaxed pace than during the past two years, in fiscal year 2000 and 2001 proposals now being considered by the Northwest Power Planning. The Council made a commitment in 1997 to cut its budget by nearly 25 percent, from $8 million to about $6.2 million, by 2002, according to Jim Tanner, the Council's administrative officer. About half of that reduction was achieved during 1998 and 1999 by deferring contract requirements, restricting travel, ... Read More...

12. JURY'S STILL OUT ON DALLES SPILL Posted on Wednesday, October 01, 2003 (PST)

Spring tests are still in midstream, but preliminary numbers from spring spill tests at The Dalles are "not too dissimilar from last year's data," according to the researcher in charge of the fish survival study. "We're right in the middle of our field work" so results are far from conclusive," Earl Dawley told members of the System Configuration Team. The SCT, a multi-agency team that helps identify hydrosystem passage project funding priorities, heard research updates at John Day, ... Read More...

13. ISAB NOMINATION LIST MULLED Posted on Wednesday, October 01, 2003 (PST)

A "short list" of candidates to fill four vacant positions on the Independent Scientific Advisory Board has been forwarded to the Northwest Power Planning Council and the National Marine Fisheries Service. A list of nine scientists with expertise in five different subject areas has been recommended by a National Research Council nominations committee to serve on the ISAB. The terms of three ISAB members, Rick Williams, Richard Whitney and Phil Mundy, expired in September 1998 and a ... Read More...

14. D VALUE KEY IN BREACHING DECISION Posted on Wednesday, October 01, 2003 (PST)

A decision on whether dam breaching is necessary -- or whether increased barging of fish downriver would do as well in recovering Snake River salmon populations -- could still swing on what researchers can learn about smolt transportation's "D value." Newer studies indicate that the D value (differential delayed transportation mortality) is not as high as was once thought, according to Chip McConnaha, manager of program and analysis and evaluation for the Northwest Power Planning Council. Read More...

15. FEEDBACK Posted on Wednesday, October 01, 2003 (PST)

. Fyall, Hanford Reach Coordinator, Benton County, Wa: There are a couple of minor points of clarification that I would like to add regarding the piece "HASTINGS OFFERS MODIFIED HANFORD BILL" from the CBB of 15 May. First, the article states that the new Murray-Dicks Congressional bills (S 715 and HR 1314) include a "management council" as a new wrinkle. This is not true, and is one of the clearest, most fundamental distinctions between the (Patty) Murray and (Richard) Hastings ... Read More...