Background

To implement the Council’s Fish and Wildlife Program, the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) and Council regularly solicit for and review projects to benefit fish and wildlife populations affected by the Federal Columbia River Power System. The Council currently has funding recommendations that apply through FY 2009. Past review processes have taken many forms including program-wide solicitations, rolling provincial reviews, and targeted solicitations. Based on the experience with these past review processes, the Council and BPA, with input from Columbia Basin Fish and Wildlife Authority (CBFWA) and Independent Scientific Review Panel (ISRP) staff, have developed a review structure to most effectively review projects for Program implementation beginning in Fiscal Year 2010 and beyond. This review structure includes a category review (i.e., strategy and topic) for existing projects that are similar in nature and intent, followed by a geographic review (by subbasin and province), that may result in targeted solicitations.

The category review will consider cross-cutting issues unique to that category as well as project–specific issues. The category review process recognizes differences in project types, specifically those with long-term commitments vs. shorter-term implementation. Category reviews will focus on existing projects that are largely previous commitments. Each category could be set on different, but integrated, funding and review paths. Like the rolling provincial reviews, category reviews are sequenced over time, spanning the next three years. The process is structured to allow the Council to accommodate other regional processes and priorities such as BPA’s ESA requirements and relevant agreements (Accords).

The Council and BPA have agreed to begin this new process with a wildlife category review encompassing a set of 36 wildlife-related projects that are currently receiving or are anticipated to receive BPA funding. These projects currently occur in 10 geographic areas and have an average FY 2007-09 expense budget of about $10 million per year and an average capital budget of $22 million per year. Staff anticipates that the scientific and administrative review intended for the wildlife category projects will enable the Council and BPA to make long-term funding and review path decisions on many of these projects.

Once the wildlife categorical review is complete, staff will submit to the Council a package of funding recommendations to include budget and scope adjustments, project durations, and the results from the science review. The recommendations may include funding options or alternatives based on near-term adjustments and new or different work elements. The recommendations could also include cross-cutting issues for any particular category. Specifically, the Council and Bonneville expect to provide a “commitment to fund” qualifying (appropriate) categorical projects for up to eight years. Periodic budget and performance check-ins would occur during that time span. As cross-cutting issues are resolved over time, those changes may be reflected in a projects’ budget or work elements; adjustments would be integrated when and how appropriate over the course of the contract.