Puget Sound Salmon Hatcheries April 2003 Puget Sound Salmon Hatchery Management Decision Making ESA & NEPA Processes Independent Scientific Review Process

Puget Sound Salmon HatcheriesApril 2003

Puget Sound Salmon Hatchery Management

Decision Making

ESA & NEPA Processes

Independent Scientific Review Process


Puget Sound Salmon Management Plan

Promote stability and vitality of treaty and non-treaty fisheries

Provides legal framework for hatchery decision making under United States vs. Washington

Improve practical and technical basis for management



Equilibrium Brood Document

Comprehensive Management Plans

Future Brood Document



Description of the standard mode of operating hatchery facilities and functions that has been agreed to by the co-managers

Facilities

Species cultured

Activities (transfer, brood stock collection, rearing, release, etc.)

Size, timing, number of fish released

Brood stock source

Contingency plans



The annual expression of the equilibrium brood program for the coming year

Compiled annually

Documents annual production, stock transfers, and changes



Provides context for equilibrium brood programs

Achieve coordination between co-managers

Eliminate potential conflicts in achieving the resource management strategy


ESA Implications

Puget Sound chinook salmon and summer chum salmon listed as threatened in 1999

Federally funded programs evaluated for whether they are likely to jeopardize the existence of the listed ESU (Section 7)

Hatchery programs may be excepted from take restrictions if provide

Hatchery and genetic management plans (HGMP) consistent with conservation guidelines (Section 4(d) criteria)

Resource management plans that show activities will not appreciably reduce the likelihood of survival and recovery of the ESU consistent with jurisdiction under United States vs. Washington


Puget Sound tribes (through BIA) provide NMFS with a biological assessment of tribal hatchery activities in 1999 and begin consultations with NMFS on their hatchery activities (Section 7)

WDFW and Puget Sound tribes provide NMFS with a joint resource management plan and all HGMPs for chinook salmon in August 2002

ESA Responses

WDFW and Puget Sound tribes provide NMFS with non-chinook HGMPs in March 2003 after WDFW is threatened with a lawsuit from Washington Trout


NEPA & ESA

NMFS has determined that the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) applies to its actions in evaluating hatcheries under ESA

Schedule and approach are being developed now

Two-phase schedule with near-term environmental assessments (EA) followed by an environmental impact statement (EIS) in two years

Alternatives have not yet been developed

Broad scale, ESU level assessment


Independent Scientific Review

Independent scientific review has emerged as another tool for improving the technical basis for management

The Hatchery Scientific Review Group (HSRG) is an independent panel formed by Congress to ensure that hatchery programs in western Washington are scientifically founded and evaluated

HSRG provides a systematic review of all hatchery programs by region and development of recommendations and alternatives





Independent Scientific Review

(HSRG)

HGMPs

Resource Management

Plans

Integration


Endangered Species Act & consultationswith NMFS

Independent Reviews

Environmental Impact Assessment

National Environmental Policy Act