http://www.cbbulletin.com/default.aspxColumbia Basin Bulletin recent articlesFri, 03 Feb 2012 21:29:17 GMTSmartSolutions.Impact, Version=2.5.1383.19310, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=nullhttp://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss60http://www.cbbulletin.com/lunarlogo.gifhttp://www.cbbulletin.com/416165.aspxInterested parties can now comment on a plan to “dissuade” nesting of yet another salmon-eating bird species on a portion the lower Columbia River’s East Sand Island, which in recent years has become what is believed to be the United States’ largest double-crested cormorant colony. http://www.cbbulletin.com/416165.aspxFri, 03 Feb 2012 21:29:17 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/416164.aspxClimatic and accompanying ocean conditions that have remained “persistently negative,” since late spring/early summer 2010, could bode well for Columbia River basin and other salmon populations that return from the Pacific to spawn next year, the year after, and possibly beyond. http://www.cbbulletin.com/416164.aspxFri, 03 Feb 2012 21:27:58 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/416163.aspxResearchers from NOAA’s Fisheries Service, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the private Kintama Research Services, Ltd., and Oregon State University have teamed up to explain why their ocean research benefits a program aimed at mitigating effects on fish and wildlife in freshwater. http://www.cbbulletin.com/416163.aspxFri, 03 Feb 2012 21:26:26 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/416162.aspxDespite a mid-January burst of precipitation, snowpack in the Columbia River basin remains below “normal” as the region heads into wintertime’s home stretch. http://www.cbbulletin.com/416162.aspxFri, 03 Feb 2012 21:25:06 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/416161.aspxA return to old ways could well “make a contribution to recovery” of a Willamette spring chinook stock that was listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 1999. http://www.cbbulletin.com/416161.aspxFri, 03 Feb 2012 21:23:43 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/416160.aspxAs the one-year anniversary of the devastating March 11, 2011, Japanese earthquake approaches, and debris from the ensuing tsunami moves closer to the West Coast, a group of Oregon agencies, university scientists, political staff, non-governmental organizations and others is preparing for its arrival. http://www.cbbulletin.com/416160.aspxFri, 03 Feb 2012 21:22:11 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/416159.aspxThe Walla Walla District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recently identified metal tubing failures as the likely source of several inadvertent oil leaks from power transformer heat exchangers or “cooling units” at Ice Harbor Lock and Dam on the Snake River. http://www.cbbulletin.com/416159.aspxFri, 03 Feb 2012 21:20:45 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/416158.aspxFor years there have been concerns about the potential impacts – genetic contamination and disease -- from salmon farmed in British Columbia net pens upon wild Pacific salmon. Now comes a pilot project to reduce environmental risk by raising salmon in a tank. http://www.cbbulletin.com/416158.aspxFri, 03 Feb 2012 21:19:18 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/416157.aspxIdaho Department of Fish and Game biologists confirmed a recent sighting of a Canada lynx on the Salmon-Challis National Forest. http://www.cbbulletin.com/416157.aspxFri, 03 Feb 2012 21:16:48 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/416156.aspxBlooms, or proliferation, of jellyfish have shown a substantial, visible impact on coastal populations — clogged nets for fishermen, stinging waters for tourists, even choked intake lines for power plants — and recent media reports have created a perception that the world's oceans are experiencing increases in jellyfish due to human activities such as global warming and overharvesting of fish. http://www.cbbulletin.com/416156.aspxFri, 03 Feb 2012 21:15:19 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/416155.aspxThe California Department of Fish and Game recently released adult coho salmon in Salmon Creek, Sonoma County to reestablish a coho salmon population. http://www.cbbulletin.com/416155.aspxFri, 03 Feb 2012 21:14:06 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/415843.aspxThe Columbia Land Trust, Bonneville Power Administration and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on Tuesday announced what they say is the largest purchase of fish and wildlife riverside habitat in the Columbia River estuary in nearly 40 years. http://www.cbbulletin.com/415843.aspxFri, 27 Jan 2012 21:37:25 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/415842.aspxThere has been a salmon sighting. The first two upriver spring chinook of the year were counted Wednesday crossing up and over the Columbia River’s Bonneville Dam. The counts at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ fish ladders included one adult fish and one early-maturing “jack,” that latter being a chinook that returned after one year in the ocean. http://www.cbbulletin.com/415842.aspxFri, 27 Jan 2012 21:35:09 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/415841.aspxRepresentatives of upriver and downriver tribes, and of the state of Idaho, trooped to the microphone Thursday to express dissatisfaction with the way the states of Oregon and Washington manage fisheries in the lower Columbia River aimed at spring chinook salmon. http://www.cbbulletin.com/415841.aspxFri, 27 Jan 2012 21:33:42 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/415840.aspxTighter catch “guidelines” or allocations were confirmed Thursday for sport and commercial fisheries for white sturgeon on the lower river in actions taken by the Columbia River Compact and a joint Oregon/Washington sport fishing panel. http://www.cbbulletin.com/415840.aspxFri, 27 Jan 2012 21:32:26 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/415839.aspxThe federal process for removing four hydroelectric dams in the Klamath Basin advanced Tuesday with the release of draft report from the U.S. Department of Interior indicating benefits such as salmon recovery, more dependable irrigation water deliveries and job creation could outweigh disadvantages of removing the dams, including the projected $291 million cost, lost electrical production and increased flooding risks. http://www.cbbulletin.com/415839.aspxFri, 27 Jan 2012 21:31:11 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/415838.aspxThe ZeaChem biorefinery under development along the Columbia River in Boardman, Oregon got a boost Thursday from a $232.5 million USDA conditional loan guarantee announced by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. http://www.cbbulletin.com/415838.aspxFri, 27 Jan 2012 21:29:17 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/415837.aspxWetland restoration is a billion-dollar-a-year industry in the United States that aims to create ecosystems similar to those that disappeared over the past century. But a new analysis of restoration projects shows that restored wetlands seldom reach the quality of a natural wetland. http://www.cbbulletin.com/415837.aspxFri, 27 Jan 2012 21:27:32 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/415836.aspxThe gray wolf designated OR7 has remained in California since he crossed the state line from Oregon on Dec. 28. http://www.cbbulletin.com/415836.aspxFri, 27 Jan 2012 21:26:08 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/415835.aspxWashington State University has established a new academic entity: the School of the Environment, an interdisciplinary teaching, research and extension enterprise intended to address complex, multidimensional environmental issues. http://www.cbbulletin.com/415835.aspxFri, 27 Jan 2012 21:25:06 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/415834.aspx-- Re: “Corps Dworshak Nutrient Supplementation Study Aims To Boost Kokanee, Listed Bull Trout,” Jan. 20, 2012, http://www.cbbulletin.com/415679.aspx -- From Mike Faler, Fisheries Biologist, Orofino, ID In regards to the article about the Dworshak Nutrient Supplementation Project, I would like to point out just a few of the omissions, discrepancies, and inconsistencies I observed in the narrative: http://www.cbbulletin.com/415834.aspxFri, 27 Jan 2012 21:23:03 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/415833.aspxNOAA has announced the designation of additional critical habitat to provide protection for endangered leatherback sea turtles along the U.S. West Coast. NOAA is designating 41,914 square miles of marine habitat in the Pacific Ocean off the coasts of California, Oregon and Washington. http://www.cbbulletin.com/415833.aspxFri, 27 Jan 2012 21:20:25 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/415684.aspxFor the third straight year, fish and wildlife directors from Washington and Oregon have agreed to reduce the catch of white sturgeon on the lower Columbia River, where the species has declined in abundance in recent years. http://www.cbbulletin.com/415684.aspxFri, 20 Jan 2012 20:14:07 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/415683.aspxProjects aimed at satisfying the goals of the Willamette Project biological opinion will take a large share, about $40 million, of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ 2012 Columbia River Fish Mitigation budget, which is expected to total about $125.8 million. http://www.cbbulletin.com/415683.aspxFri, 20 Jan 2012 20:10:26 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/415682.aspxWater supply forecasts, ski hill snow totals and backcountry snowpack have nudged up over the past week with sudden downpouring, after what has been a slow start to the wintertime water accumulation period. http://www.cbbulletin.com/415682.aspxFri, 20 Jan 2012 20:09:07 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/415680.aspxIn the space of a few days, many rivers in the Pacific Northwest have gone from near-record low levels to flood stage, jeopardizing riverside homes, causing flooding and challenging chinook salmon, steelhead and other native fishes. http://www.cbbulletin.com/415680.aspxFri, 20 Jan 2012 20:06:23 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/415679.aspxThe U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Walla Walla District has offered for public comment its plan to re-implement a fertilization program in west-central Idaho’s Dworshak Dam reservoir in hope of reinvigorating the food chain and, as a result, the prized kokanee fishery and protected bull trout population. http://www.cbbulletin.com/415679.aspxFri, 20 Jan 2012 20:05:07 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/415678.aspxA new study suggests that the impact of predation on juvenile Steller sea lions in the Gulf of Alaska has been significantly underestimated, creating a “productivity pit” from which their population will have difficulty recovering without a reduction of predators. http://www.cbbulletin.com/415678.aspxFri, 20 Jan 2012 20:03:47 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/415677.aspxRising human carbon dioxide emissions may be affecting the brains and central nervous system of sea fishes with serious consequences for their survival, an international scientific team has found. http://www.cbbulletin.com/415677.aspxFri, 20 Jan 2012 20:01:48 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/415676.aspxThe Obama Administration this week released the first draft national strategy aimed at helping decision makers and resource managers prepare for and help reduce the impacts of climate change on species, ecosystems, and the people and economies that depend on them. http://www.cbbulletin.com/415676.aspxFri, 20 Jan 2012 20:00:30 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/415675.aspxResource managers at the nation’s 155 national forests now have a set of guidelines to help them manage their landscapes for resilience to climate change. http://www.cbbulletin.com/415675.aspxFri, 20 Jan 2012 19:57:55 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/415674.aspxThe Bonneville Power Administration, Idaho Power and PacifiCorp have agreed to continue exploring joint participation in the 300-mile, 500-kilovolt Boardman-to-Hemingway Transmission Line Project. http://www.cbbulletin.com/415674.aspxFri, 20 Jan 2012 19:55:12 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/415445.aspxWhat a difference a day makes. On Monday the Northwest River Forecast Center issued a 2012 water volume runoff forecast for April-September as measured at the lower Columbia River’s The Dalles Dam that figured to be 86 percent of average due to relatively paltry precipitation totals across the basin, and particularly in the south. On Tuesday, http://www.cbbulletin.com/415445.aspxFri, 13 Jan 2012 20:15:54 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/415444.aspx“Our task is to find the sweet spot,” NOAA Fisheries’ Rob Jones said Tuesday of Columbia River basin fish managers’ ongoing quest to minimize the risk posed by hatchery production to remnant salmon and steelhead populations that continue to spawn in the wild. http://www.cbbulletin.com/415444.aspxFri, 13 Jan 2012 20:13:34 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/415443.aspxFor the third straight year, fishery managers from Washington and Oregon plan to reduce the allowable catch of white sturgeon on the lower Columbia River, where the species’ abundance has been declining since 2007. http://www.cbbulletin.com/415443.aspxFri, 13 Jan 2012 20:12:09 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/415442.aspxFollowing a “qualified” endorsement from its Independent Scientific Review Panel, the Northwest Power and Conservation Council on Tuesday recommended that $10 million be earmarked for a plan to provide permanent protection for core salmon habitat in the “ceded” territory of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. http://www.cbbulletin.com/415442.aspxFri, 13 Jan 2012 20:10:29 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/415441.aspxThe Bonneville Power Administration, and a host of organizations representing utility interests, late last week asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to reconsider a Dec. 7 decision that declared a new BPA “redispatch and negative pricing” policy contrary to the law. http://www.cbbulletin.com/415441.aspxFri, 13 Jan 2012 20:09:14 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/415440.aspxMembers of the Northwest Power and Conservation Council this week elected Joan Dukes, an Oregon member, chair of the Council for 2012, and Rhonda Whiting, a Montana member, vice chair. http://www.cbbulletin.com/415440.aspxFri, 13 Jan 2012 20:05:07 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/415439.aspxClimate change in the form of reduced snowfall in mountains is causing cascading shifts in mountainous plant and bird communities through the increased ability of elk to stay at high elevations over winter and consume plants, according to a study in Nature Climate Change. http://www.cbbulletin.com/415439.aspxFri, 13 Jan 2012 20:03:41 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/415438.aspxConcerned about the impact of debris from the Japanese tsunami on Oregon’s fishing, crabbing, shipping and tourism industries, U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-OR, said this week it is time for federal, state and local agencies to develop a response plan and start communicating with the public. http://www.cbbulletin.com/415438.aspxFri, 13 Jan 2012 20:02:24 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/415437.aspxRecent data from the federal Toxics Release Inventory, which includes a section on the Columbia River basin, shows that toxic chemical releases rose in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington, says the Environmental Protection Agency. http://www.cbbulletin.com/415437.aspxFri, 13 Jan 2012 20:01:04 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/415436.aspxResearchers at the University of Oviedo in Spain have come up with a way of tagging gunpowder which allows its illegal use to be detected even after it has been detonated. Based on the addition of isotopes, the technique can also be used to track and differentiate between wild fish and those from a fish farm, such as trout and salmon. http://www.cbbulletin.com/415436.aspxFri, 13 Jan 2012 19:59:26 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/415435.aspxThe U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has released its draft environmental assessment of a request from West Butte Wind Power, LLC, for a permit that would allow for the "take" of golden eagles at the company's proposed wind project in central Oregon. http://www.cbbulletin.com/415435.aspxFri, 13 Jan 2012 19:58:06 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/415055.aspxFour Columbia River treaty tribes last week released what they say is the most comprehensive restoration plan for Pacific lamprey in the basin. http://www.cbbulletin.com/415055.aspxFri, 30 Dec 2011 19:05:01 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/415054.aspxLower Columbia River salmon and steelhead sport harvests, in some cases, were the best on record in 2011 and, with rosy return forecasts for many species, the fishing should be good again in 2012, according “preliminary draft” data compiled by the Oregon and Washington departments of fish and wildlife. http://www.cbbulletin.com/415054.aspxFri, 30 Dec 2011 19:03:35 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/415053.aspxA recently completed draft “Research, Monitoring and Evaluation” plan represents a “significant step” toward the development of a framework to guide efforts to revive salmon populations and other fish stocks in Oregon’s Willamette River valley, according to a report issued by the Independent Scientific Review Panel. http://www.cbbulletin.com/415053.aspxFri, 30 Dec 2011 19:02:01 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/415052.aspxFor a second straight year the traditional Jan. 1 opener for white sturgeon retention on the lower Willamette River in western Oregon, including Multnomah Channel and the Gilbert River, will be delayed because of an anticipated cut in the harvest quota. http://www.cbbulletin.com/415052.aspxFri, 30 Dec 2011 19:00:20 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/415051.aspxFlows from Mid-Columbia River basin hydroelectric projects are now being managed to protect thousands of nests left by more than 60,000 fall chinook salmon that returned to spawn in the Vernita Bar area of the Columbia’s Hanford Reach this fall. http://www.cbbulletin.com/415051.aspxFri, 30 Dec 2011 18:58:46 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/415050.aspxGreenbelt Land Trust last week announced the acquisition of conservation easements on more than 300 acres of Willamette River frontage property in western Oregon’s Benton County that will benefit chinook salmon, cutthroat trout, Oregon chub, Pacific lamprey, western pond turtles and red-legged frogs. http://www.cbbulletin.com/415050.aspxFri, 30 Dec 2011 18:56:57 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/415049.aspxA recently published study says that in just one generation traits are selected that allow fish to survive and prosper in the hatchery environment. http://www.cbbulletin.com/415049.aspxFri, 30 Dec 2011 18:55:36 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/415048.aspxDebris from the tsunami that devastated Japan in March could reach the United States as early as this winter, according to predictions by NOAA scientists. http://www.cbbulletin.com/415048.aspxFri, 30 Dec 2011 18:54:23 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/415047.aspxOn the 15th anniversary of the return of wolves to Yellowstone National Park, a quiet but steady picture of ecosystem health is emerging, scientists conclude in a new report. http://www.cbbulletin.com/415047.aspxFri, 30 Dec 2011 18:53:04 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/415046.aspxPhotos captured on an ODFW remote camera in northeast Oregon show the Wenaha wolf pack had at least one pup this year. http://www.cbbulletin.com/415046.aspxFri, 30 Dec 2011 18:51:38 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/414780.aspxA proposed Oregon ballot initiative that would ban the use of non-Indian gillnets in the Columbia River mainstem reached a new stage this week with the issuing of a “modified” title and summary in answer to directions from the state Supreme Court. http://www.cbbulletin.com/414780.aspxFri, 16 Dec 2011 16:18:24 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/414779.aspxColumbia River basin fish and wildlife project sponsors have learned a lot about how artificial production, fish passage and habit restoration actions affect fish populations, but putting that knowledge to work will require several more giant steps, according to the “Retrospective Report 2011” completed last week by the Independent Scientific Review Panel. http://www.cbbulletin.com/414779.aspxFri, 16 Dec 2011 16:11:25 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/414778.aspxColumbia River fishery managers are predicting strong returns in 2012, including a forecast return to the mouth of the river of 314,200 adult spring chinook salmon. Such a return would be the fourth largest return on a record dating back to 1938. http://www.cbbulletin.com/414778.aspxFri, 16 Dec 2011 16:08:53 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/414777.aspxEarly forecasts by fishery officials predict strong Columbia-Snake river salmon returns almost across the board in 2012. And in the case of sockeye and summer chinook, record runs are predicted. http://www.cbbulletin.com/414777.aspxFri, 16 Dec 2011 16:07:15 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/414775.aspxConcerned about the spread of northern pike in Washington waters, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is gearing up for a spring campaign to halt the advance of the voracious, non-native fish toward the Columbia River. http://www.cbbulletin.com/414775.aspxFri, 16 Dec 2011 16:03:15 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/414774.aspxThe Washington Department of Ecology has approved the first water rights for municipal, domestic and industrial purposes from the Lake Roosevelt storage pool behind Grand Coulee Dam under the state’s Columbia River water development program. http://www.cbbulletin.com/414774.aspxFri, 16 Dec 2011 15:57:31 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/414773.aspxThe Washington Salmon Recovery Funding Board on Monday announced the award of nearly $30 million in grants to organizations around the state to help improve the lot of salmon. http://www.cbbulletin.com/414773.aspxFri, 16 Dec 2011 15:55:43 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/414772.aspxDespite all the recent controversial research headlining media these days about diseases, parasites and viruses depleting British Columbia salmon stocks, scientists still don’t have a true picture of what is going on. http://www.cbbulletin.com/414772.aspxFri, 16 Dec 2011 15:54:15 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/414771.aspxOregon Department of Fish and Wildlife confirmed this week that another cow was killed by wolves from the Imnaha pack over the weekend. The yearling heifer was found dead on private land in Wallowa County. http://www.cbbulletin.com/414771.aspxFri, 16 Dec 2011 15:52:33 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/414770.aspxSecretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and Wyoming Gov. Matt Mead on Monday convened a meeting with representatives from eight western states to discuss ongoing efforts to conserve the greater sage-grouse and identify next steps in implementing a landscape level strategy that will benefit the species while maintaining a robust economy in the West. http://www.cbbulletin.com/414770.aspxFri, 16 Dec 2011 15:51:13 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/414769.aspxNitrogen derived from human activities has polluted lakes throughout the Northern Hemisphere for more than a century and the fingerprint of these changes is evident even in remote lakes located thousands of miles from the nearest city, industrial area or farm. http://www.cbbulletin.com/414769.aspxFri, 16 Dec 2011 15:49:47 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/414650.aspxThe 2011 steelhead return was 11-fish strong as of Monday with more fish expected to trickle in, and completed sockeye and spring chinook salmon runs were small too. All, however, are encouraging signs for those involved in an effort to restore those fish stocks in central Oregon’s Metolius, Crooked and upper Deschutes rivers. http://www.cbbulletin.com/414650.aspxFri, 09 Dec 2011 20:24:51 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/414648.aspxThe Federal Energy Regulatory Commission sided with wind generating companies in a Wednesday order giving the Bonneville Power Administration 90 days to correct what the commission called an “unduly discriminatory” policy limiting transmission of wind, thermal and other non-hydro power during high water flows in the Columbia River basin. http://www.cbbulletin.com/414648.aspxFri, 09 Dec 2011 20:23:38 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/414647.aspxThe Oregon Elections Division on Thursday released two “certified” initiative titles for proposals that would, if added to the Nov. 6 ballot and approved by voters, restrict and/or eliminate commercial fishing by non-tribal Oregon fishermen in the Columbia River and other “inland waters.” http://www.cbbulletin.com/414647.aspxFri, 09 Dec 2011 20:22:26 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/414646.aspxPlaintiffs have asked for another shot at convincing a new presiding judge to add two new processes to a court-ordered remand intended to rebuild the federal government’s Columbia/Snake river salmon protection plan. http://www.cbbulletin.com/414646.aspxFri, 09 Dec 2011 20:21:11 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/414645.aspxAfter four years of development and extensive public review, the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission last week unanimously adopted a plan that will guide state conservation and management of gray wolves in Washington. http://www.cbbulletin.com/414645.aspxFri, 09 Dec 2011 20:20:01 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/414644.aspxA new federal policy proposed this week is intended to clarify which species or populations of species are eligible for protection under the Endangered Species Act. http://www.cbbulletin.com/414644.aspxFri, 09 Dec 2011 20:17:04 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/414643.aspxThe Washington Department of Ecology will hold a public workshop in Seattle as part of an effort intended to update statewide environmental standards “that will better safeguard people who eat fish and shellfish from Washington’s waters.” http://www.cbbulletin.com/414643.aspxFri, 09 Dec 2011 20:15:51 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/414641.aspxThe National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration this week released a new scientific integrity policy. http://www.cbbulletin.com/414641.aspxFri, 09 Dec 2011 20:12:48 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/414640.aspxMarine predators such as sharks, tunas, swordfish, and marlins are becoming increasingly rare under current fishing trends, say University of British Columbia researchers. http://www.cbbulletin.com/414640.aspxFri, 09 Dec 2011 20:11:41 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/414472.aspxThis fall’s bull trout spawning was 78 percent of the 10-year average in streams feeding Montana’s Kootenai River below Libby Dam, and 70 percent of the 10-year average in streams feeding Lake Koocanusa north of the dam. http://www.cbbulletin.com/414472.aspxFri, 02 Dec 2011 21:26:49 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/414471.aspxCombined losses of juvenile salmon and steelhead to predation by Caspian terns and double-crested cormorants in the Columbia River estuary were about 27 million smolts, according to preliminary data presented Tuesday to researchers during a gathering in Walla Walla, Wash. http://www.cbbulletin.com/414471.aspxFri, 02 Dec 2011 21:20:28 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/414470.aspxThe newly restored and expanded Hamilton springs channel just off the Columbia River below Bonneville Dam has become the destination of choice this year for a much greater than average number of threatened chum salmon spawners. http://www.cbbulletin.com/414470.aspxFri, 02 Dec 2011 21:19:10 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/414469.aspxBanning non-tribal commercial gill-net fishing on the mainstem Columbia River remains a hot topic with comments flooding in regarding two additional draft ballot titles based on Oregon voter initiative proposals submitted early in November. http://www.cbbulletin.com/414469.aspxFri, 02 Dec 2011 21:15:53 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/414468.aspxPerhaps the most recognizable name in Columbia River basin salmon recovery circles, U.S. District Court Judge James A. Redden, has decided to step to the sidelines. http://www.cbbulletin.com/414468.aspxFri, 02 Dec 2011 21:14:26 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/414467.aspxNOAA Fisheries Service will hold a public meeting Monday (Dec. 5) in Omak, Wash., to continue its discussion of whether it is appropriate to reintroduce Upper Columbia spring-run chinook salmon to the Okanogan River basin as an “experimental” population. http://www.cbbulletin.com/414467.aspxFri, 02 Dec 2011 21:09:24 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/414466.aspxSockeye salmon are evolving through natural selection to deal with a warming climate, according to a study by researchers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. http://www.cbbulletin.com/414466.aspxFri, 02 Dec 2011 21:07:48 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/414465.aspxTwo distinct populations of rainbow trout -- one in Alaska, the other in Idaho -- share a genetic trait that could have huge implications for fisheries conservation and management, an eight-member research team reports. http://www.cbbulletin.com/414465.aspxFri, 02 Dec 2011 21:06:30 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/414464.aspxAfter four years of development and extensive public review, the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission will consider adoption of a plan to guide state conservation and management of gray wolves as they re-establish a breeding population in the state. http://www.cbbulletin.com/414464.aspxFri, 02 Dec 2011 21:05:01 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/414463.aspxA new study suggests that the rate of global warming from doubling of atmospheric carbon dioxide may be less than the most dire estimates of some previous studies – and, in fact, may be less severe than projected by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report in 2007. http://www.cbbulletin.com/414463.aspxFri, 02 Dec 2011 21:03:46 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/414462.aspxThe U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service this week announced a proposal to designate critical habitat for southern Selkirk Mountains caribou, an endangered woodland mammal protected under the Endangered Species Act. http://www.cbbulletin.com/414462.aspxFri, 02 Dec 2011 21:02:33 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/414461.aspxA new study led by University of British Columbia researchers reveals how the effect of climate change can further impact the economic viability of current fisheries practices. http://www.cbbulletin.com/414461.aspxFri, 02 Dec 2011 21:01:17 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/414460.aspxIn a letter sent this week, 52 members of the U.S. House of Representatives called on President Obama to convene a “solutions table” regarding efforts to protect and restore endangered wild salmon and steelhead in the Columbia and Snake River basins of the Pacific Northwest. http://www.cbbulletin.com/414460.aspxFri, 02 Dec 2011 20:59:32 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/414130.aspxConsideration of a state request to lethally remove California sea lions from the lower Columbia River nudged forward this week with completion of a summary of discussions held Oct. 24 by the Pinniped Fishery Interaction Task Force. http://www.cbbulletin.com/414130.aspxFri, 18 Nov 2011 20:10:23 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/414129.aspxJudge James A. Redden in a recent e-mail invited the federal government to respond to an Oct. 25 request that a court-appointed panel of independent scientist and a settlement judge be added to an ongoing process aimed at shoring up the strategy for protecting Columbia River basin salmon and steelhead stocks listed under the Endangered Species Act. He got more than he asked for. http://www.cbbulletin.com/414129.aspxFri, 18 Nov 2011 20:06:45 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/414128.aspxThe federal government on Wednesday reiterated its intent to work with the region’s tribes and states to respond to U.S. District Court Judge James Redden’s Aug. 2 order requiring a bolstering of habitat actions in the federal plan to restore Columbia Basin salmon and steelhead listed under the Endangered Species Act. http://www.cbbulletin.com/414128.aspxFri, 18 Nov 2011 20:05:03 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/414127.aspxRecent stream surveys have revealed an alarming trend in declining bull trout reproduction in Montana's Swan River drainage, along with troubling numbers in the North Fork Flathead Basin and improving spawning in the Flathead’s Middle and South Fork drainages. http://www.cbbulletin.com/414127.aspxFri, 18 Nov 2011 20:03:27 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/414125.aspxThe Bureau of Reclamation and Washington State Department of Ecology this week released a draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for the Yakima River Basin Integrated Water Resource Management Plan for public comment. http://www.cbbulletin.com/414125.aspxFri, 18 Nov 2011 19:50:50 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/414124.aspxAccording to a newly publish research paper, fisheries and habitat managers in the Pacific Northwest need to be proactive if they want to blunt the likely negative effects on salmon and steelhead of ever-warming streams. http://www.cbbulletin.com/414124.aspxFri, 18 Nov 2011 19:49:02 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/414123.aspxAfter 30 years of Montana resistance against mining and drilling in the Canadian Flathead, the British Columbia provincial government has formally and finally approved a law protecting the drainage from development. http://www.cbbulletin.com/414123.aspxFri, 18 Nov 2011 19:47:35 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/414122.aspxIn order to separate human-caused global warming from the "noise" of purely natural climate fluctuations, temperature records must be at least 17 years long, according to climate scientists. http://www.cbbulletin.com/414122.aspxFri, 18 Nov 2011 19:46:21 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/414121.aspxA new book from the Oregon State University-based Oregon Sea Grant program, “Pathways to Resilience: Sustaining Pacific Salmon in a Changing World,” explores the issue of strengthening salmon resilience. http://www.cbbulletin.com/414121.aspxFri, 18 Nov 2011 19:45:02 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/413964.aspxThe flood loosed late last month when southwest Washington’s Condit Dam was breached has literally coated the lower White Salmon River in layers of various thickness of fine, dark sediment. http://www.cbbulletin.com/413964.aspxFri, 11 Nov 2011 20:09:14 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/413963.aspxNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Administrator Jane Lubchenco has directed NOAA Fisheries to assemble a report on Infectious Salmon Anemia – due by the end of November – that will outline steps needed on surveillance, research and response, including contingency plans for handling the potential spread of the virus. http://www.cbbulletin.com/413963.aspxFri, 11 Nov 2011 20:07:49 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/413961.aspxFishery managers are hoping for high chum salmon numbers and high flows (precipitation plus) this late fall and winter to enable Columbia River dam operators to create an expanded spawning area for the threatened species below Bonneville Dam. http://www.cbbulletin.com/413961.aspxFri, 11 Nov 2011 20:04:07 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/413960.aspxThere’s no runaway winner, but it appears water transactions such as rights purchases and leases may have an edge in Columbia-Snake river basin efforts to keep more water in-stream for the benefit of salmon and steelhead. http://www.cbbulletin.com/413960.aspxFri, 11 Nov 2011 20:02:28 GMThttp://www.cbbulletin.com/413959.aspxWith a fish and wildlife spending ramp up expected to continue in 2012 and beyond, the Bonneville Power Administration has said it must go slow in deciding whether to fund a $575,000 irrigation diversion improvement project in central Washington that is intended to benefit threatened Mid-Columbia River steelhead. http://www.cbbulletin.com/413959.aspxFri, 11 Nov 2011 20:00:51 GMT