THE DALLES, Ore.—The Mid-Columbia Steelhead
Sounding Board, will meet May 21 from 9:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. at The
Dalles Screen Shop/Hood River Research building, 3561 Klindt Drive.
The agenda includes an update by Oregon Department of Fish and
Wildlife staff on the current progress of proposed management actions
to recover the steelhead. Additionally, a National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration representative will give a presentation on
the threats criteria and a report on the cost analysis of the
management actions. Opportunity for public comment will be provided at
the end of the meeting.
The Mid-Columbia Steelhead Sounding Board is a stakeholder group
that provides input on recovery planning for mid-Columbia steelhead
that are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.
Members of the sounding board represent fish conservation, fishing,
private land, timber, agricultural, tribal, local governments, State
and Federal agencies, and other interests.
The mid-Columbia recovery plan is one of four native fish
conservation plans being developed in Oregon to address the threatened
status of coho, steelhead, chum and chinook. Other plans are being
produced for the lower Columbia, upper Willamette and Snake River
recovery areas.
A progress report for the mid-Columbia steelhead recovery planning
effort is posted on the NOAA Web site (http://www.nwr.noaa.gov/Salmon-Recovery-planning)
and a draft recovery plan will be available for public review in June
2007.
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife representatives worked with
NOAA Fisheries technical recovery teams to finalize assessment of the
current status of listed species, define the gap between current
status and de-listing criteria and set recovery goals. The plan
includes assessment of key threats and limiting factors and proposed
management actions for habitat, hatcheries, harvest, and hydro. Rich
Carmichael, Program Director of Fish Research at Eastern Oregon
University in La Grande, is leading the recovery plan effort for
mid-Columbia steelhead.
