Subbasin planning: April 8, 2003 update

Subbasin planning update

for April 8, 2003 Council meeting

In just over a year from now, in May 2004, all subbasin plans are scheduled to be submitted to the Council as recommendations for amendment into the Fish and Wildlife Program. The table below summarizes the status of subbasin planning workplans.

Council approval of a workplan is an important milestone because it indicates that the planning infrastructure is in place in a given subbasin and that work can begin once the contracts are in place. There are 59 total subbasins that could submit a plan to the Council (see table below, or detailed milestones page.). By the end of April, you will likely have approved 85%, or 50 of 59 possible workplans covering most of the basin.

Status of subbasin planning workplans

Approved by Council to date	37
Pending for approval in late April	13
Subtotal	50
Not likely to be in front of the Council until May or later	9
Subbasins where plans are not being developed: Bitterroot, Blackfoot and Clark Fork	3
Total	62

Level II groups and subbasin planners say it will take at least 14 months to develop a complete subbasin plan as we have defined it. If, for example, assessment work is already largely in place in a subbasin, then a shorter schedule may be possible. Staff encourages Council members and Level II groups to think critically about whether the remaining nine subbasins (Big White Salmon, Crab Creek, John Day, Klickitat, Lower Mid-Columbia Mainstem, Malheur, Owyhee, Palouse, and Sandy) can be completed by May 2004. This information will be the subject of a more detailed discussion with the Regional Coordination Group (Level III) on April 16.