Subbasin planning: Oregon specific guidance

Oregon-Specific Guidance for Subbasin Planning

Related guides:

September 2003 revision

[This is a revision to the October 2002 version. Additional revisions may occur as the process evolves.]

Introduction

This document provides guidance on the process for preparing subbasin plans. It is intended to augment the guidance on subbasin plan contents provided in the Technical Guide for Subbasin Planners. As with the Technical Guide, this guidance is not mandatory; it has been prepared by the Oregon Coordinating Group (OCG) to assist planners and other stakeholders in developing subbasin plans that meet Council standards and expectations for the subbasin planning process as well as maintaining consistency with agency/tribal policies and programs in Oregon.

In addition to this document and the Technical Guide, a number of other guidances have been developed. Many are referenced directly in this document. Appendix E contains a complete list of these guidances, updated to the date of this revision.

The first set of subbasin plans, completed in 1991 for the anadromous fish bearing subbasins, was a common effort of the tribal, state, and federal fishery managers to implement U.S. v Oregon court-ordered management agreements at the subbasin level. They attempted to quantify the amount of change from historic conditions and the amount of restoration that would occur as a result actions proposed in those plans. The amount and type of information and the resources available for the planning process limited the analyses.

The second set of subbasin plans (Wy-Kan-Ush-Mi Wa-Kish-Wit, Spirit of the Salmon), updated from 1990 by the member tribes of the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission, was completed in 1995 and extended the quantification of the original plans. Life stage survival estimates were included for some runs and changes from historic conditions were allocated among habitat, hydropower, and harvest impacts. In addition, specific monitoring proposals were identified to track improvements resulting from plan implementation.

Now we are embarked upon a third iteration of subbasin planning. It began with development of Subbasin Summaries as part of the Council's rolling Provincial Review of projects under its Fish and Wildlife Program. This round of planning will conclude with the development of subbasin, provincial and regional plans (the last two based upon the individual subbasin plans). When completed, the Council intends to adopt these plans into the Fish and Wildlife Program. As plans are developed they will be evaluated for consistency with the Endangered Species Act, the Clean Water Act, federal treaty and trust responsibilities to the basin's Native American Tribes, and the general provisions of the Council's 2000 Fish and Wildlife Program.

The success of this effort will depend in large part upon how well the new subbasin plans build from and extend the quantification of earlier plans, their ability to integrate the various land and water management plans affecting the subbasin, and on the funding provided for their implementation.

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