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Columbia River Basin White Sturgeon Framework. Lynn Palensky Northwest Power and Conservation Council Portland, Oregon USA July 2013. Northwest Power and Conservation Council . Interstate compact of Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington Authorized by NW Power Act of 1980
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Columbia River Basin White Sturgeon Framework Lynn Palensky Northwest Power and Conservation Council Portland, Oregon USA July 2013
Northwest Power and Conservation Council • Interstate compact of Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington • Authorized by NW Power Act of 1980 • 8 members appointed by the 4 governors • Funded by rate-payers through BPA • Headquarters in Portland, Oregon+ state offices
Columbia Basin Fish and Wildlife Program • “...program to protect, mitigate, and enhance fish and wildlife, in the Columbia River and its tributaries affected by the development & operation of the of hydroelectric projects while assuring an adequate, efficient, economical, and reliable power supply.” • Annual f&w budget of >$250m (of which 4-5% is allocated to sturgeon) • Over 400 projects & programs funded; each reviewed by independent scientists
1,954 Km long Originates in Columbia Lake, BC 2 countries 6 states 1 province 3 First Nations 16 Native American Tribes
Science Review • Independent Science Review Panel (ISRP) • Scientific Criteria defined in Program • Applied to all Bonneville-funded projects • ISRP called for comprehensive Columbia River Sturgeon plan
ISRP Recommendations for sturgeon • Basinwide management plan • Factors affecting recruitment • Importance of estuary and ocean in production • Productivity above Bonneville Dam • Review of harvest regs, consider seasonal restrictions, and improve methodologies to assess stock status
Sturgeon Framework • 1.5 years to develop • Existing information • Manager, Expert & Public input • ISRP review available on June 24 • Revisions for final document (now) • 2nd round of comments
Sturgeon Framework • Planning Area, Management Entities • Plans, Policies, and Programs • Biology & Life History • Current Status • Fisheries • Management Unit Summaries • Limiting Factors & Threats • Gap Analysis: Critical Uncertainties
Recommendations • Hatcheries • Hydro • Passage at dams • Ecology / Population Dynamics / Predation • Outreach
Challenges • Multiple partners • Funding • Management units • Different managers • Geography • Goals • Balance goals of conservation and harvest
Next Steps • Last set of comments 7/1/13 • Revisions to Framework through fall • Invite manager/expert comments on revisions • Uses: • Basis for developing supplementation opportunities • Increase funding to study and conserve sturgeon • Increase conservation/awareness • Guide mitigation priorities in the CR basin • http://www.nwcouncil.org/ext/dashboard/
Questions? www.nwcouncil.org/fw/