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TO:

Anadromous Fish Committee (AFC)

FROM:

Gary James, Chair

SUBJECT:

Draft Action Notes for May 22, 2001 Anadromous Fish Committee Meeting

Attendees:

John Palensky (NMFS), Howard Schaller (USFWS), Tom Giese, Frank Young and Tom Iverson (CBFWA)

By Phone:

Gary James (CTUIR, Chair), Grant Walker (NPT), Patty O�Toole (CTWSRO), Bob Foster (WDFW), Ron Boyce (ODFW), and Russ Thurow (USFS-RMRS)

Time Allocation:

Objective 2. Rolling Provincial Review and Subbasin Summaries

Objective 3. FY 2001 Adjustments

0%

33%

33%

ITEM 1:

Review and Modify Agenda

The group decided to discuss the within year budget modification item first to accommodate guests on the phone. An additional agenda item was added for an update on the CBFWA mainstem amendment recommendation.

ACTION:

The agenda was modified and approved.

ITEM 2:

Within Year Budget Modification

The Rocky Mountain Research Station (USFS) has requested $24,000 for a Mark-Resight redd analysis as part of Project # 9902000, Analyze the Persistence and Spatial Dynamics of Snake River Chinook Salmon. The purpose of the requested additional funds is to provide a valid measure of sampling bias and redd count precision.

Project # 9902000 has been supported by BPA funding since 1999 because it meets critical needs for long-term monitoring, indexing, acquisition of life history information, and analysis of the spatial structure of a wild chinook salmon population. The primary census method, aerial redd counts, currently provides no measure of precision and there is no measures of the proportion of the true number of redds it represents across time. Inadequately accounting for bias and precision may lead to misleading conclusions about population trends. In 1999 a similar proposal was submitted to BPA. The Independent Scientific Review Panel commented that this project is valid and much needed. Funding for the project was deferred by CBFWA, in part, because of the extremely low escapements in 1999 and 2000.

As a result of an anticipated increase in chinook salmon escapements in 2001, there is substantial justification for conducting the mark-resight survey this year. In FY 2001, the predicted increase in escapement of wild chinook salmon provides a rare opportunity to dramatically increase the sample size. Without additional funding in FY 2001, the opportunity to sample the increased number of redds and rigorously measure sampling bias and redd count precision will be lost.

This proposed modification will address the spatial bias component of redd count estimates. This proposal does not address the temporal component of the bias. The AFC would like to investigate expansion of this request to include additional sampling for the temporal bias in counting redds. The project sponsor was asked to provide a supplement to his request to Tom Iverson by Friday May 25. Tom will forward that supplement to MMG.

The Shoshone-Bannock Tribe submitted a memo dated 5/22/01 supporting this request.

ACTION:

The AFC approved the request for $24,000 for Project Number 199902000, Analyze the Persistence and Spatial Dynamics of Snake River Chinook Salmon for a Mark-Resight redd analysis to address the spatial bias in the redd count method performed by this project. The AFC also recommends the MMG review a supplement to this request (to be provided on May 25, 2001) that will incorporate additional sampling to address the temporal bias in this redd count methodology.

ITEM 3:

Discuss Current Status of the Process for Addressing Emergency Needs for Distributing Surplus Adult Spring Chinook

Bob Foster provided a brief update of a process that Rick Applegate has helped to facilitate for distributing surplus hatchery adult spring chinook salmon for outplanting. Agreements have been reached in the Methow Subbasin with final details still being worked out. BPA has also included wording in their latest solicitation that will support funding transporting surplus adults during this year.

ITEM 4:

Update on Mainstem Amendment Recommendations

Tom Giese provided a brief summary of the CBFWA recommendations on the mainstem operations. CBFWA is submitting a letter in response to the Northwest Power Planning Council�s (Council) request on March 14, 2001 for recommendations for elements of a mainstem plan to be adopted for the Columbia and Snake rivers as an amendment to the Council�s 2000 Columbia River Basin Fish and Wildlife Program. CBFWA is providing general comments on a number of key programmatic themes that are critical to the success of any mainstem plan. Individual members may be submitting more detailed comments.

The draft CBFWA letter was sent to MMG on May 15, 2001 for review. Comments are due by COB May 25.

ITEM 5:

Review Proposed Columbia Plateau Project Review Schedule

Tom Iverson provided a summary of a proposed project review schedule for the Columbia Plateau Province. The proposed schedule was sent out to Anadromous Fish, Resident Fish and Wildlife Committees on May 22, 2001. This schedule is draft and comments are welcome.

The group recommended forming an ad-hoc subcommittee to review the habitat projects submitted during the Columbia Plateau Province review (focusing mainly on acquisitions). This subcommittee should have representatives from all three committees (AFC, RFC, and WC). The committee would review the habitat projects prior to the province review teams performing their review (preferably during the week of June 25, 2001).

ACTION:

No action was taken on the item. Gary James will raise the topic of an ad-hoc subcommittee on habitat at the next MMG on May 31, 2001.

ITEM 6:

The next meeting is scheduled for June 20, 2001 in Portland, Or.

Please send in possible agenda items. A meeting notice and draft agenda will be provided by June 13, 2001. If no agenda items are suggested the meeting may be cancelled. One possible agenda item may be a presentation of the BPA 5-Year Implementation Plan.