December 14, 2006: NOAA Fisheries said today that a new scientific model shows that this year's ocean conditions have improved over the poor conditions observed in 2005. The new tool will help forecast adult salmon return rates up to one year in advance for coho and up to two years in advance for Chinook and help fisheries managers make more informed decisions. Scientists have discovered many critical links between physical conditions in the ocean and the number of salmon that growth to maturity and return to spawn in the river.
December 13, 2006: Parties in the FCRPS remand litigation today filed a notice with Judge James Redden saying they have not be able to reach agreement on 2007 hydro operations for fish. Any party seeking injunctive relief will file their motion with Judge Redden on or before January 19, 2006.
December 8, 2006: The Department of Justice today filed a motion in US District Court for more time to complete the FCRPS BiOp. The parties do not object to the motion, which would extend the timeline from February 7, 2007, to July 31, 2007. In addition, DOJ asked Judge James Redden to extend the due date for the next quarterly status update, from January 3, 2007 to February 2, 2007. The Judge has granted the request to extend the due date for the BiOp and the quarterly status report.
November 28, 2006: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced they have signed Records of Decision (RODs) adopting the Service's plan for managing Caspian terns in the lower Columbia River. The plan calls for redistributing the world's largest breeding colony of Caspian terns from East Sand Island near the mouth of the Columbia River, where they prey on juvenile salmon.
November 7, 2006: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Northwestern Division, is hosting the annual Anadromous Fish Evaluation Program (AFEP) at the World Trade Center in Portland, Oregon on November 13-16, 2006.
Scientists and researchers from Federal fishery agencies, non-profit organizations, tribal fishery groups, and universities throughout the Northwest will present recent research and findings on Columbia Basin fish passage. Agenda and abstracts at http://www.nwp.usace.army.mil/pm/e/conference/home.asp
October 3, 2006: The federal action agencies today submitted their fourth quarterly status report to Judge James Redden on the progress of the collaboration on the FCRPS Biological Opinion remand.
August 30, 2006: Over 67,000 summer chinook were counted passing the Bonneville Dam between June 16 and July 31, beating the 10-year average for the same time period by 24,000. Improvements in the swift and safe passage of juvenile salmon through the dams are helping salmon recovery for the long term.
August 23, 2006: The federal agencies have submitted a paper to the U.S. District Court describing how BPA has planned for future salmon recovery funding in its 2007-2009 power rates.
July 7, 2006: Congressman Cathy McMorris hosted a field hearing in Pasco, Washington, on "Electricity Costs and Salmon: Finding the Balance." Among those testifying at the hearing were Steve Wright , BPA Administrator, and Karen Durham-Aguilera, Director of Programs for the Northwestern Division of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
July 3, 2006: The Federal action agencies submitted their third quarterly status report to Judge Redden on the progress of the collaboration on the remand of the 2005 Federal Columbia River Power System Biological Opinion.
June 16, 2006: The federal action agencies have released their 2005 Progress Report covering actions to help ESA listed salmon and steelhead.
June 15, 2006: After one of the latest starts on record, almost 124,000 spring chinook salmon passed Bonneville Dam on their way up river at the official close of the season yesterday. That beat last year’s chinook count of 95,000 fish and is higher than estimates made earlier in the season.
June 2, 2006: The federal action agencies and NOAA Fisheries have developed a fact sheet summarizing our collaboration with States and tribes and related efforts to help recover endangered salmon and steelhead in the Columbia Basin.
April 4, 2006: Federal operators of the lower Columbia and Snake river dams announced the April 3 start of spill for fish on the Snake River, and the planned April 10 start on the Columbia River.
Also, Federal agencies yesterday submitted the second quarterly report to Judge Redden on the progress of collaboration on the remand of the 2004 Federal Columbia River Power System Biological Opinion.
Documents were filed with the Court April 3, 2006, in connection with these actions.
March 13, 2006: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is extending the comment period on its “Columbia River Fish Mitigation System Flood Control Review” Reconnaissance Report to March 31, 2006.
February 21, 2006: Congressmen Dicks, Walden and Baird held a public meeting in Pendleton, Oregon, on the subject of Pacific Northwest salmon and steelhead.
Statement provided for the February 21 meeting, from Witt Anderson of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Northwestern Division.
Additional information on the hearing available at http://www.house.gov/baird/salmon/salmon.shtml.
February 13, 2006: NOAA Fisheries announces major initiative on hatchery reform. NOAA Fisheries today hired Jim Waldo, a regionally respected attorney, facilitator and hatchery expert, to oversee a strategy leading to hatchery reform.
February 8, 2006: The Collaborative Systemwide Monitoring and Evaluation Project (CSMEP) and the Pacific Northwest Aquatic Monitoring Partnership (PNAMP) are pleased to announce the Annual Pacific Northwest Monitoring Practitioner’s Workshop on March 16-17, 2006 at the Ambridge Event Center, Portland, Oregon.
January 30, 2006: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has released the Reconnaissance Report “Columbia River Fish Mitigation System Flood Control Review.”
January 26, 2006: The Bonneville Power Administration announced today that it has selected two organizations to conduct salmon monitoring activities and scientific analysis in the Columbia Basin.
January 25, 2006: Jim Connaughton, Chairman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality today called for a comprehensive and collaborative approach to salmon recovery in the Pacific Northwest. The speech and press release are now available.
January 3, 2006: Today the Department of Justice filed its first quarterly status report on behalf of NOAA Fisheries in the remand of the 2004 FCRPS Biological Opinion.
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