Download full report Public Comment on ISRP Final Report 2022-01
Public Comment on ISRP Report 2021-08This report 122 proposals submitted for the Anadromous Fish Habitat and Hatchery Review to implement the Columbia River Basin Fish and Wildlife Program. The ISRP reviewed the proposals to determine if they [1] are based on sound scientific principles; [2] benefit fish and wildlife; and [3] have a clearly defined objective and outcome with [4] provisions for monitoring and evaluation of results . The ISRP found that 48 proposals meet those scientific review criteria, 59 proposals meet criteria with conditions requiring further action, and 1 proposal does not meet criteria. Twelve proposals were not amenable to scientific review and thus received “not applicable” recommendations. Two other projects were given a time extension to complete their responses to the ISRP’s preliminary review. A final review of those projects is anticipated by spring 2022.
This review is limited to projects currently funded under the Program. Although new project proposals were not solicited, proponents of ongoing projects could describe new work elements, phases, objectives for their projects based on adaptive management, or new priorities within existing budget constraints. Most of the 122 projects reviewed by the ISRP have been the subject of numerous past reviews. Consequently, in the Council’s guidance document to project proponents, the Council stated that important functions of this review are to evaluate:
project results and accomplishments; the degree to which project objectives are being achieved how each project has adapted proposed future work based on those results; specifically, the degree to which project objectives, actions, and methods reflect new information gained from those results clear delineation of progress towards completion how well the project proponents have responded to the scientific and management issues identified in previous Council reviews and recommendations the collective progress of particular groups of projects that have a similar focus Overall, the ISRP was impressed with the proponents’ commitment to the objectives of the Program as evident in their many accomplishments, the effort they devoted to the proposals and presentations, and their constructive approach toward scientific review. In addition to recommendations and comments on each project, the final report highlights some of the projects’ many accomplishments, describes the review process, and provides programmatic comments intended to improve Program performance. The ISRP’s programmatic comments focus on habitat restoration monitoring and evaluation (M&E) and future project reviews, but the ISRP also highlights a few programmatic issues from past reports and some that were raised as part of this review that would benefit from continued and increased attention. These issues include:
implications of flat funding on projects being able to implement their proposed actions as scientifically reviewed recognition of traditional ecological knowledge and multiple ways of knowing in scientific review dire conditions of some salmon and steelhead stock climate change long-term fitness effects of hatchery supplementation and straying on natural populations habitat assessment and prioritization methods density dependence – relationship of habitat capacity, restoration, and hatchery releases and harvest The ISRP did not have time to fully examine these additional issues as part of this review but looks forward to exploring them more fully in the future, perhaps as part of a 25-year ISRP retrospective report.
