Transcript Document

Washington State Steelhead
Status Review
PACIFIC COAST STEELHEAD MEETING
AMILEE WILSON
WA DEPARTMENT OF FISH & WILDLIFE
MARCH 4-6, 2008
Olympic
Peninsula
Puget
Sound
Upper
Columbia
River
Southwest
Washington
Not Warranted
Threatened
Endangered
Lower
Columbia
River
Middle
Columbia River
Snake
River
Washington State Steelhead
Distinct Populations Segments (DPSs)
NOAA Determination of Washington
State Steelhead Status by DPS
 Not Warranted for listing
– Olympic Peninsula
– Southwest Washington
 Threatened
– L. Columbia River
– M. Columbia River
– Snake River Basin
– Puget Sound
 Endangered
– U. Columbia River
Summary of
2002 SaSI Stock Ratings
1992: 141 stocks
–
–
–
–
Healthy: 36 = 25%
Depressed: 44 = 31%
Critical:
1 = 1%
Unknown: 60 = 43%
2002: 137 stocks
–
–
–
–
Healthy: 28 = 20%
Depressed: 41 = 30%
Critical:
1 = 1%
Unknown: 67 = 49%
Note: The first three WA State SaSI ratings are only conceptually compatible with color-coded
NOAA Fisheries ratings.
What’s new for
steelhead in
Washington State?
Puget Sound
Steelhead Listing
Puget Sound ESU – Now Threatened
Washington State Steelhead ESUs
Upper
Columbia
River
Olympic
Peninsula
Puget
Sound
Southwest
Washington
Snake
River
Middle Columbia River
Not Warranted
Threatened
Endangered
Lower
Columbia
River
Puget Sound Steelhead DPS
Steelhead DPSs
The Director’s Challenge
• Provide a scientific foundation for
a steelhead management plan
• Develop the statewide steelhead
management plan (SSMP)
From Challenge to Plan
2004
HSRG (May)
W WA Tribes (Jun)
SCPAG (SEP)
Science Steelhead
Summit V (Nov)
Paper Hatchery Reform Coalition (Dec)
2005
2006
2007
2008
2nd Draft – W WA Tribes
& SCPAG Review (Sep)
3rd Draft – All Tribes
& SCPAG Review
(Jan)
Public Comments (Jun)
1st Draft – Internal Review (Dec)
Final Draft Paper (Feb)
DEIS (Aug 1) 2nd Draft (Aug 1)
Public Mtgs (Aug 13-22)
Public Comment (Aug 1-Sep 11)
SEPA EIS
FEIS (Feb)
SSMP
1st Draft (Dec 22)
Monthly Ad Hoc
Stakeholder Mtgs
Jul 06 – Apr 07
Commission Briefing (Dec ‘07)
Commission Hearing (Feb ‘08)
Commission Action (Mar)
Develop
RMPS
Public & Policy Process
Administrative Process: SEPA EIS (SSMP - Preferred Alternative)
August ‘07
September ‘07 December ‘07
-DEIS distributed to
public for comment
-Public comment
period ended
After March ‘08
-Preliminary FEIS
completed and responses
to comments provided
-Released FEIS
SSMP is the Link
Commission Policy
Process: (Management
Plan)
December ‘07
February ‘08 March ‘08
-Brief Commission on
SSMP (Recommended
Preferred Alternative)
-Public comment
taken on SSMP
-Department
requests
adoption
STATEWIDE STEELHEAD
MANAGEMENT PLAN
Puget Sound
Olympic
Peninsula
Natural Production
Fisheries Management
Regulatory Compliance
Research
SW
Washington
Middle
Columbia
Lower
Columbia
Upper
Columbia
Snake River
Habitat Protection and Restoration
Artificial Production
Monitoring,,Evaluation & Adaptive
Management
Outreach & Education
The SSMP at work
The plan provides a framework for statewide steelhead
management for each watershed and region through:
• Clear goals
• Identified objectives
• Strategies
Components within the SSMP
Steelhead Program Operations
Natural Production
Habitat Protection & Restoration
Fisheries Management
Artificial Production
Steelhead Program Administration
Regulatory Compliance
Monitoring, Evaluation & Adaptive
Management
Research
Outreach and Education
SSMP Goal
Restore and maintain the abundance,
distribution, diversity, and long-term
productivity of Washington's wild steelhead and
their habitats to assure healthy stocks.
In a manner consistent with this goal, the
Department will seek to protect and restore
steelhead to achieve cultural, economic, and
ecosystem benefits for current and future
residents of Washington State.
Natural Production
Policy: Steelhead management shall place the
highest priority on the protection of wild
steelhead stocks to maintain and restore stocks
to healthy levels.
*Healthy wild stocks meet viable
salmonid population parameters (VSP)
•
•
•
•
Protect and restore the diversity
Provide sufficient wild spawners
Establish network of wild stock gene banks
Manage from ecosystem perspective
Habitat Protection and
Restoration
Policy: Protect and restore the quality, quantity,
and productivity of freshwater and marine
habitat necessary to sustain and restore healthy
steelhead stocks.
– Encourage local problem solving
– Advocate for protection of high quality steelhead
habitats
– Protect in-stream flows
– Promote an All-H strategy
– Manage WDFW-owned lands consistent with steelhead
habitat conservation
Fisheries Management
Policy: Promote achievement of region-wide
conservation and recovery goals and support
sustainable fisheries
–
–
–
–
Fisheries consistent with natural production policy
Promote selective harvest of hatchery steelhead
Manage in All-H strategy
Account for all sources of fishery related
mortalities
Artificial Production
Policy: Promote the achievement of the natural
production policy and provide fishery-related benefits
by implementing artificial production programs as a
component of a comprehensive habitat, hydro,
harvest, and hatchery strategy, and by assuring
artificial production programs meet the following
characteristics:
– Conservation Programs. Provide a net aggregate benefit to
the diversity, spatial structure, productivity, and abundance
of the target wild stock.
– Harvest Programs. Enhance harvest opportunities in a
manner consistent with watershed specific goals for wild
stock management.
Regulatory Compliance
Policy: Improve compliance with state and
federal regulations applicable to hatchery
operations, habitat conservation, hydro
operation, and fisheries.
– Improve enforcement of existing habitat
regulations
– Increase enforcement presence in fishery areas
with ESA listed fish
– Increase penalties associated with noncompliance
Monitoring, Evaluation and
Adaptive Management
Policy: Implement monitoring, evaluation and
adaptive management to influence
management decisions to protect the
abundance, diversity, and productivity of wild
steelhead stocks and the habitats they rely on.
– Establish fishery/escapement data management system
– Establish an Adaptive Management System (feedback loop)
to inform decision making and support progress towards
identified goals
– Link recovery plan actions with status and trends of
steelhead DPSs
Research
Policy: Implement steelhead research to inform
the department and the Commission on critical
steelhead management issues
– Collaborate with external
agencies and
organizations
– Promote interest in
steelhead research
– Pursue research funding
opportunities
Outreach and Education
Policy: Ensure Washington’s citizens value,
support and have the information and
opportunities necessary to participate in the
restoration and protection of steelhead and
their habitats.
– Capitalize on existing programs (SCPAG, RFEG,
Salmon Recovery groups, Lead Entity, etc.)
– Involve citizens in all phases of restoring and
conserving wild steelhead
– Promote historical significance of steelhead
Final Steps &
Future Opportunities
• Commission action on SSMP – March 7-8th
• Regional Management Plan Development
• Recovery Planning