Comment on proposed FY 2006 budget

The sponsors confirm their desire to renew the project in FY 2006 and that the identified budget is consistent with the previously approved budget.

Accomplishments since the last review

The cooperative (ODFW, IDFG, NOAA, NPT, CTUIR, and SBT) captive broodstock program has provided the safety net that has aided in preventing the extinction of Snake River spring/summer Chinook salmon. The NOAA component provided the crucial seawater rearing needed for the long term retention of these stocks anadromous traits. NOAA facilities provided marine smolt-to-adult rearing for 90% of the Salmon River and 1/3 to ½ of the Grande Ronde River captive broodstocks. The program has supplied over 2,819 maturing seawater reared adults to Oregon for use in ODFW, NPT, and CTUIR recovery activities in the Grande Ronde Basin. Over 1,875 seawater marine reared maturing fish have been supplied to Idaho to aid IDFG's and the SBT in their recovery efforts for Salmon River spring/summer Chinook salmon listed as threatened with extinction under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.

FY 2006 goals and anticipated accomplishments

The marine captive broodstock project's primary goal is to provide a safety net population that can be used to sustain ESA-listed stocks of spring/summer chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) in years when no fish return from the sea. In addition, the program has the goal of generating fish that can be used to aid the rebuilding of ESA-listed populations in the Snake River Basin.

Subbasin planning

How is this project consistent with subbasin plans?

Salmon Subbasin Plan consistency: Aquatics Objectives 1B, Strategies 1B2 through 1B3 (pg 21) and 2A, Strategies 21A, 2A2, 2A5 (pgs 23 and 24): The project is using artificial propagation and innovative techniques to meet the goals identified in Table 6 of the Salmon Subbasin Plan. The project is applying safety net hatchery intervention to meet interim abundance and delisting goals. These programs provide the gene conservation measures needed to meet the Salmon subbasin's plan's goal of preventing irreversible loss of genetic diversity. Grande Ronde Subbasin Plan consistency: 5.2.2 Fish Production /Population Strategies (pg 264) and Fish Production Goals (Section 3.23.4.2 pg 86-94). The Manchester seawater rearing project plays a key role in Grande Ronde spring Chinook salmon captive broodstock program (pgs 90-92) efforts to restore Chinook salmon populations in the basin. In addition, the Manchester captive broodstock component plays a key role in the subbasin plan for supplying native broodstock for the NE Oregon Hatchery conservation program (Table 37 pg 88). Updated Propose Action for the FCRPS BiOp: Hatchery Actions (pg 66) Continued funding of the Grand Ronde river and Salmon River safety net programs for Snake River spring/summer Chinook is called for. The 2004 FCRPS BiOp (pg 6-66)concurs with the above UPA and determined that the safety-net program for this ESU is effective at reducing the short-term risk of extinction. Other Plans: The use of captive broodstocks as an artificial propagation tool to aid in the recovery of anadromous runs of Snake River chinook salmon is an action called for by many objectives and goals of the NWPPC's Salmon Subbasin Summary (Mountain Snake Province), Grande Ronde Subbasin Summary (Blue Mountain Province), Artificial Propagation Summary for the Mainstem/Systemwide Province, and the 2000 Columbia Basin Fish and Wildlife Program.

How do goals match subbasin plan priorities?

The Salmon Subbasin Plan does not provide Aquatic Prioritizations (see section beginning on page 153). The Grande Ronde Subbasin Plan does not rank its Fish Production/Population Strategies Priotorizations (pg 264-265). This subbasin plan does call out the Manchester Spring/Summer Chinook project in its Production priorities (Chinook Broodstock Strategy and Management, pgs 92-93) as a key supplier of broodstock for the Northeast Oregon Hatchery (pgs 87-88) and Grande Ronde Endemic Supplementation program (pgs 89-92).

Other comments