RESOURCE MANAGEMENTFrom FY 2000 and FY 2006, Resource Management has increased $5.1 million or nearly 40 percent (includes Congressional Adds). Below is a table detailing where the increases have occurred in this account. Resource Management Funding History by Category and Activity
Hatcheries Hatcheries have long played an important role in supporting recreational, commercial, and international fisheries, as well as in meeting our Tribal Trust responsibilities, and continue to do so today. However, with the decline and endangerment of many native species, Pacific Region hatcheries must now also play an important role in supporting the restoration and recovery of these species. Contact: Rich Johnson at Rich_R_Johnson@fws.gov or 503-872-2763. Fish Health – Three fish health centers take the lead in fish pathogen containment, emergency disease control, and epidemiology assistance to fishery managers in the Pacific Northwest. They provide training, policy and biological guidance for fish disease and fish health management to the Region and other Service offices as requested. They assist a wide range of cooperators including states, tribes, non-governmental organizations and other federal agencies with fish health technical and training services. Expertise includes aquatic animal health, physiology, pathology, and microbiology. The FY 2007 President’s Budget requested an additional $1.5 million nation-wide for fish health and whirling disease research. Contact: Ray Brunson at Ray_Brunson@fws.gov or 360-753-9046 Applied Research – Within the Service, the Abernathy Fish Technology Center staff conduct applied research programs in behavioral physiology, nutrition, pathology, microbiology, genetics, and fish culture. Technical assistance is provided in these program areas, and in the fields of biostatistics and chemistry, to federal, state, tribal, recreational, and conservation entities. The major emphases of these programs are to: (1) assist in the "repositioning" of the Service’s National Fish Hatcheries as tools in the conservation of natural populations; (2) examine the use of natural brood stocks by federal hatcheries to meet management objectives; and (3) promote and support captive propagation and management methods that result in healthy Pacific salmon, steelhead/rainbow trout, cutthroat and bull trout, and white sturgeon populations. Contact: Judy Gordon at Judith_Gordon@fws.gov or 360-425-6072 ext. 350. Harvest Management. – To meet the Service’s federal tribal trust, resource protection, hatchery mitigation, and public benefit responsibilities, the Service plays an integral role in the development of fishery management plans, development of new fishery management strategies and evaluation tools, conduct applied research, and monitor harvest allocation and compliance. This is in direct support of the states, Tribes, and NOAA Fisheries who have primary regulatory authority in harvest management. Contact: Tim Roth at Timothy_Roth@fws.gov or 360-604-2500. Mass Marking - Public Law 109-54, SEC. 118 requires the Service to visibly mark all salmonid stocks, intended for harvest, that are released from Federally operated or Federally financed hatcheries including but not limited to fish releases of coho, chinook, and steelhead species. The Service marks over 35.6 million salmonids a year (excluding the Lower Snake River Compensations Program (LSRCP) to comply with this law. Marking contributes to better harvest management by providing both commercial fishing and recreational anglers a visible characteristic to quickly distinguish between a hatchery and endangered or threatened wild spawning fish. For the past several years, funding for this project was added by Congress through the annual appropriation process. The FY 2007 President’s Budget did not request continued funding of this activity next year as it is a Congressional add and other activities are a higher priority. Contact: Rich Johnson at Rich_R_Johnson@fws.gov or 503-872-2763. Hatchery Review – Since 2000, Congress has earmarked funds for the Western Washington Hatchery Reform Project (otherwise referred to as Hatchery Review). Hatchery Review is a science-based approach to reforming salmon hatcheries practices so that both conservation and harvest goals are managed in an integrated manner with other watershed strategies. Review of Western Washington National Fish Hatcheries (NFHs) was completed in 2005 and implementation of those recommendations is now underway. The Service has also begun reviewing fish propagation programs at the 12 NFHs in the Columbia River Basin using its own operational funds. These reviews will be completed by 2008. At the same time, NOAA Fisheries has formed a Columbia River hatchery scientific review group which has initiated a series of similar reviews as a follow up to the Northwest Power Council Artificial Production Review. The Service is coordinating with NOAA to assure the best integration of both hatchery reform efforts.
Contact: Doug DeHart at Douglas_DeHart@fws.gov or 503-872-2763. Regional Mark Processing Center - The Regional Mark Processing Center (RMPC) serves as the single U.S. database for coded-wire-tag information in the Pacific Salmon Commission format. The RMPC tracks marking and tagging data for hatchery-raised fish from a variety of sources, including the 4 million coded-wire-tagged fish released by the Service. Data from the RMPC coast-wide coded-wire-tag and marked fish database system is used by state, tribal, federal, and Canadian fishery management agencies to manage fisheries from California to Alaska, and inland to Idaho. This information is used to protect wild and listed stocks of salmonids from over-harvest and allocate harvest opportunities between user groups. The FY 2007 President’s Budget did not request continued funding of this activity next year as it is a Congressional add and other activities are a higher priority. Contact: Rich Johnson at Rich_R_Johnson@fws.gov or 503-872-2763. Habitat Contact: Vicki Finn @ Vicki_Finn@fws.gov or 503-872-2763. Habitat Restoration – The Region is also directly engaged in a number of independent and partnership projects with other agencies to conserve and restore watershed and riparian habitats. Many of these activities could not be accomplished without partnering with private entities. These programs include the Chehalis Restoration Program, Columbia River Basin Initiative, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Grant Program, and the National Fish Habitat Initiative (a.k.a. Western Native Trout Initiative). Habitat restoration activities have growing through budget increases and a redirection of resources from other lower priority activities. The FY 2007 President’s Budget requested an additional $2.0 million for a total of nearly $3.0 million nation-wide in the National Fish Habitat Initiative. Restoration includes returning fish populations and their habitat to levels not only sufficient to replace themselves, but also provide an opportunity for fish to be harvested without the continued need for captive propagation. These restored populations then serve as an ongoing, self-sustaining source to support the many uses of the fish (such as fishing, ceremonial use, food for other wild creatures, etc.). Contact: Vicki Finn @ Vicki_Finn@fws.gov or 503-872-2763. Fish Passage - The goal of the Fish Passage Program is to restore native fish and other aquatic species to self-sustaining levels by reconnecting habitat that has been fragmented by barriers. The Fish Passage Program uses a non-regulatory approach to remove barriers and build structures to improve fish passage. All projects are voluntary and are done in cooperation with willing partners. Partnerships can be with private individuals, federal, tribal, state, and local governments and agencies, and non-governmental organizations. Costs are shared by the Service and its partners. Partner cost-sharing of projects has averaged over 50 percent. The FY 2007 President’s Budget requested an additional $1.4 million for a total of $5.0 million nation-wide in the National Fish Passage Program. Jerry Van Meter at Jerry_VanMeter@fws.gov or 503-872-2763. Aquatic Invasive Species - Because these aquatic invaders do not recognize political or ownership boundaries but threaten us all, effective partnerships and coordinated efforts are essential to stopping their impacts. Invasive species are second only to habitat degradation as a factor in the endangerment and extinction of native species. Nearly two-thirds of all endangered fish and clams have been impacted by invasive non-native species. Hydropower generation, municipal water supplies, and agricultural irrigation can also suffer tremendous losses from aquatic invaders. Zebra mussels alone were estimated to cost the United States billions of dollars during the 1990s. Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) funds are available for partnerships with federal, tribal, state, and local governments and agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and businesses. Three primary categories of partnership funds are: 1) 100th Meridian Initiative, which supports collaborative projects designed to prevent the spread of zebra mussels and other AIS to the West; 2) National AIS control plan implementation (e.g., New Zealand mudsnails); and 3) State AIS management plan implementation (for states with plans approved by the national Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force). State AIS management plan funding requires a 25% non-federal match, but cost-sharing is encouraged for all ANS projects. Contact: Paul Heimowitz at Paul_Heimowitz@fws.gov or 503-872-2763. |
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