Recovery Plan Module Development

Bonneville Dam

The Federal Columbia River Power System (FCRPS) is managed primarily by three agencies: the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Bonneville Power Administration. Together, these agencies are sometimes referred to as the “action agencies.” These agencies are also part of a larger group of eight federal agencies – known as the “Federal Caucus” that have natural resource responsibilities in the Columbia Basin related to the Endangered Species Act, including authorities and jurisdictions for fish protection and recovery. In addition to those listed above, the Federal Caucus includes: NOAA Fisheries, US Fish and Wildlife Service, US Environmental Protection Agency, US Forest Service, and US Bureau of Land Management. Native American Tribes also have critical interests in several key aspects of the river and its systems.

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) in August 2005 contracted with the Lower Columbia River Estuary Partnership to develop a recovery plan module for Endangered Species Act (ESA) listed salmon and steelhead that utilize the Lower Columbia River estuary. The estuary recovery plan module will comprise the estuary and lower mainstem portion of all Columbia Basin ESA recovery plans (i.e., in support of plans for the Snake River, Upper Columbia, Mid Columbia, Lower Columbia, and Upper Willamette River ESUs). As such, the recovery plan module will analyze limiting factors and threats and needed actions (or strategies options). The recovery plan module will help establish the relationship between fish utilization of, and benefit from, upper basin habitat and functions and fish utilization of, and benefit from, the lower mainstem and estuary portion of the Columbia River. The analysis and strategy options will focus on watershed processes and habitat conditions, including flow, tidal effects, ecological interactions, and toxics. Other factors, such as harvest and hatcheries will be highlighted, but addressed in greater detail in other modules. The module is due to NMFS December 1, 2005.

The recovery planning efforts being coordinated by NMFS extend outside of the Estuary Partnership’s study area, including entire Willamette River basin and all of the Columbia River and its tributaries from Hood River downstream in Oregon and from the White Salmon River downstream in Washington.

The Technical Recovery Team is comprised of high level scientists that work on the technical aspects of recovery planning such as delisting criteria. Recovery plans will be developed for each listed species in the Lower Columbia Willamette domain. Recovery plans will utilize Subbasin Plans as building blocks and regional planning groups such as the Estuary Partnership and the Lower Columbia Fish Recovery Board will play a significant role in their development.

More information about Recovery Planning can be found at the NMFS Recovery Planning Web site.