Recommendation 6
Click here to download this recommendation. (22 K) Click to comment on this recommendation.

April 17, 2000

Mr. Mark Walker
Director of Public Affairs
Northwest Power Planning Council
851 SW Sixth Avenue #1100
Portland, Oregon 97204

RE: Recommendations for Amendments to the Council's Columbia River Basin Fish and Wildlife Program

Dear Mr. Walker:

Thank you for all the efforts that the Council is making to get input from a variety of natural resource agencies in Washington State. Several of our staff half participated in your meetings on an interim process and on looking at assessment methodologies. We also have one person on the scientific team developing an assessment criteria template. We appreciate the opportunity to comment in these meetings and make recommendation. I hope that our investment of time and effort will ensure that there is strong coordination with Washington's efforts to provide adequate water for people and fish.

Recommendation:

The Washington State Department of Ecology is actively involved in comprehensive watershed planning with local stakeholders to address water quantity, water quality, and fish habitat. The state has invested a total of $10 million to support watershed planning in Ecological Provinces that are located in Washington. These efforts will result in strategies that provide water for various uses, including the needs of fish. This does not include additional money being provided by the Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Salmon Recovery Funding Board.

The "Draft Strawman Proposal" does a good job of identifying the need to coordinate on all of the planning processes occurring at the state level. Watershed planning will be successful in addressing fish habitat needs since it will be done in conjunction with addressing water for future needs within a watershed. Traditionally, these discussions have occurred separately and habitat has not faired well. Because there are real financial savings for coordination, we recommend that that the Council provide a financial incentive to proponents that coordinate with the already occurring local

 planning and data collecting efforts. By not duplicating the work, there should be more money for implementation and hopefully positive impact.

There are a broad range of parties working on the development of these local watershed plans. Historically, the Fish and Wildlife Program has provided funding to a small group of fish and wildlife mangers in the State of Washington. We recommend that the Council allow other potentially important stakeholders to be eligible to apply for funding for projects that affect water quantity and water quality when they demonstrate that these projects will have a positive impact on habitat.

We also recommend that the Council require an assessment of ecosystem conditions by evaluating the changes to natural processes since these result in the habitat characteristics currently present and define the potential for any restoration efforts.

 Once again thank you for the opportunity to provide input into your process.

Sincerely,

Joseph R. Williams
Special Assistant to the Director

Go to top | Go to index