Comment on proposed FY 2006 budget

The Nez Perce Tribe Department of Fisheries Resources Management confirms that we desire renewal of the Chinook Salmon Adult Abundance Monitoring project (Project Number 199703000) for fiscal year 2006 and beyond. The planned amount for this project ($401,789) was the approved funding level for FY 2005. This budget amount does not meet our expectations for project funding in FY 2006 for the following reasons. This budget planning strategy is unrealistic and does not take into account the real cost of doing business. It reflects that inflation in the economy has no affect on project operations, it allows no cost of living adjustments, no potential salary increases for deserving employees, and provides no flexibility for adjustment for changing indirect costs and health care costs which are beyond control. By artificially “freezing” budgets, it mandates that these costs be taken out of the meat of the project. This reduces our management agency’s ability to provide high quality project deliverables. We request a modest budget adjustment of 5% to allow this project to continue to provide much needed tributary specific adult salmon abundance information for monitoring of recovery metrics. The increased budget is needed for adult salmon abundance and migration timing monitoring, operation of abundance monitoring sites, increased fuel costs, 3% increase in office space rental, cost of living adjustments, and project coordination. A more reasonable project budget for FY 2006 of $421,878 is requested.

Accomplishments since the last review

This project provides the key performance measure of tributary specific adult abundance and migration timing information on listed spring and summer chinook salmon in Lake Creek (2002-2004) and the Secesh River (2004). 1. Produce Environmental Compliance – NEPA and ESA Section 10 permits done annually for both streams 2. Coordination – state, federal, Tribal and research coordination done annually 3. Manage and Administer Projects – BPA accrual estimates, contracts, SOW’s, pisces reporting, and NPT policies and procedures done annually 4. Provide Technical Review – literature review of abundance monitoring methods and improvements done annually. 5. Install Lake Creek and Secesh River adult abundance monitoring structures – done annually for underwater video (Lake Creek) and DIDSON monitoring (Secesh River). 6. Collect Adult Chinook Salmon Abundance Data – underwater video operated on Lake Creek and DIDSON operated on the Secesh River to determine adult salmon abundance annually. 7. Maintain project data – adult abundance databases updated and proofed annually. 8. Disseminate Data – project data shared via presentations and data exchange 9. Analyze and Interpret Data – adult salmon abundance, migration timing, DIDSON validation, and data analysis done annually 10. Produce Status Reports – quarterly status reports and ESA reports done annualy. 11. Produce Annual Reports - adult salmon abundance in Lake Creek was 410, 490, and 394 fish in 2002, 2003, and 2004;DIDSON adult salmon abundance in the Secesh River was 1,064 salmon (2004); DIDSON counts were validated by optical cameras; DIDSON successfully acquired 99.9% out of 914 adult salmon passages; estimated abundance of wild/natural chinook salmon in the entire Secesh River drainage in 2002, 2003, and 2004 was 992, 1,180 and 1,052 fish for assessment of recovery metrics;estimated adult salmon hatchery fraction in Lake Creek was 7.4% (2002), 1.4% (2003), and 2.9% (2004);redd count expansion techniques estimated from 65% fewer to 208% more salmon compared to video determined salmon abundance.

FY 2006 goals and anticipated accomplishments

The goal of the Chinook Salmon Adult Abundance Monitoring project is to accurately determine adult spring and summer chinook salmon escapement into the Secesh River and Lake Creek on an annual basis. Secesh River chinook salmon are recognized by the ICRTRT (2003) as a subpopulation for recovery planning in Idaho. All of the 11 metrics previously identified (see Past Accomplishments section) will be continued on this project in FY 2006. The project will continue to provide adult salmon abundance on wild stocks in Lake Creek (underwater video) and apply the new DIDSON technology for wild stock abundance quantification in the Secesh River. Use of salmon abundance data from this project will allow direct measurement of progress toward recovery metrics, assessment of the effectiveness of conservation actions, evaluation of program effectiveness in meeting Salmon Subbasin Management Plan adult return objectives, and more effective resource management. Data from this project used in combination with information from other research projects will assist in deriving juvenile or smolt per female data, spawner to spawner ratios, determination of smolt-to-adult return rates, and in assessing delisting criteria. Adult abundance is a key performance measure that is used to derive other primary performance measures, and in recovery metric status monitoring. Information from this project, and other projects that collect actual escapement data, may allow movement toward developing the abundance data sets necessary to provide a scientifically sound basis for salmon conservation and allow evaluation of recovery thresholds (NMFS 2000, NMFS 2002, ICRTRT 2004).

Subbasin planning

How is this project consistent with subbasin plans?

Information from this project is consistent with and implements the following Aquatic strategies from the Salmon Subbasin Management Plan (p. 20, 21, and 23-25): 1) 1A2 by determining population specific smolt-to-adult return rates, 2) 1B4 to evaluate program effectiveness in meeting numerical goals identified in Table 6, 3) 2A1 monitoring abundance and productivity of wild stocks in the subbasin, 4) 2A4 by identifying a lack of knowledge on population size or filling data gaps on focal species, 5) 3C1 population specific adult salmon abundance information on chinook salmon to measure progress towards delisting and recovery, 6) 3C2 population specific smolt-to-adult return rates, and 7) adult abundance data is used in deriving juvenile or smolt per female data (strategy 3A2), spawner to spawner ratios (strategy 3C3), and in assessing delisting criteria (strategy 3C5). The project is also consistent with the data gaps identified as strategies to achieve aquatic biological objectives (Table 10) in the Research, Monitoring and Evaluation Plan section (p. 110-114), and strategies and information needs outlined in Table 15 in the Monitoring and Evaluation section (p. 123-131)for use in evaluating success of implemented strategies in achieving aquatic objectives in the Salmon subbasin.

How do goals match subbasin plan priorities?

The Salmon River Subbasin Plan did not prioritize research, monitoring and evaluation work. However, specific reference to the types of information required are provided in the Aquatic objectives and strategies (p. 20-27), the Research, Monitoring and Evaluation Plan section (p. 110-114), and the Monitoring and Evaluation section (p. 123-131). The goals of this project are directly related to Aquatic strategies 1A2, 1B4, 2A1, 2A4, 3C1, and 3C2. Information from this project, combined with other project data, will derive other key performance measures identified in Aquatic strategies 3A2, 3C3, and 3C5. The Salmon Subbasin Management Plan specifically states that “….the focus on environmental limiting factors and problem statements does not adequately address or balance biological limiting factors within the prioritization framework” (p. 154). Information collected by this project is consistent with the biological problem statements, biological objectives, and limiting factors presented in Table 5 (p. 18-19) of the Salmon Subbasin Management Plan. This project provides adult salmon abundance information necessary to evaluate biological limiting factors of out-of-basin effects, increased extinction risk, and data gap reduces the effectiveness of species management.

Other comments

This project is one of a limited number of projects in the Snake River basin that collects adult salmon abundance information necessary to provide a scientifically sound basis for salmon conservation and allow evaluation of recovery metrics. Measurement of threatened species delisting criteria must occur in natal streams, not at hydroelectric projects. Both Secesh River spring and summer chinook salmon and steelhead are identified by the ICRTRT (2003) as subpopulations for salmon recovery planning. Since this project is already sited in the Secesh River, the potential exists to monitor adult steelhead abundance for a relatively small increase in overall funding. The need for adult steelhead abundance information is a crucial data gap clearly identified in recovery planning and in the Salmon Subbasin Management Plan (2004).