Dec. 30, 2009: Record returns of coho salmon to the middle and upper Columbia River this year signal the comeback of fish that 20 years ago were virtually extinct in upriver tributaries. See press release.
Dec. 21, 2009: The federal government today filed a brief and proposed voluntary remand order in U.S. District Court presenting two alternatives for the Adaptive Management Implementation Plan to be identified in the BiOp for public and judicial review, as Judge Redden specified at a hearing Nov. 23, 2009.
Dec. 21, 2009: Today the action agencies released their report on the first year of work under the 2008 FCRPS BiOp. The report demonstrates that the federal strategy of aiding fish at each step of their lives is helping return more salmon to recently restored rivers and streams. View the summary document or go to a page with links to all four sections.
Nov. 23, 2009: NOAA Administrator Dr. Jane Lubchenco said in a statement today following a hearing on FCRPS Biological Opinion: "The Administration hopes we can bring a decade of litigation to a close. We think it is appropriate to focus our resources on fish protections and habitat restoration."
Nov. 12, 2009: Salmon migrated upstream into the Taneum Creek watershed for the first time in more than a century today when crews put the finishing touches on a project to remove an irrigation diversion dam on the creek.
Oct. 23, 2009: The Department of Justice has filed a reply brief in Judge James Redden’s court regarding the Obama Administration’s review of the 2008 FCRPS BiOp. The briefs and accompanying exhibits posted here.
In addition, three states and six tribes have jointly filed a brief in support of the FCRPS BiOp. See filing here.
Sept. 30, 2009: NOAA's Fisheries Service today released its recovery plan for Middle Columbia River steelhead. Today's release brings to 10 the number of ESA-protected salmon or steelhead runs that now are covered by recovery plans. See NOAA website for more information.
Sept. 16, 2009: Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire strengthened the state’s salmon-protection partnership with federal agencies Wednesday by signing a major agreement that will accelerate habitat protection and restoration in the funding for Columbia River estuary habitat.
Sept. 15, 2009: Backed by sound science, strong stakeholder support and extensive outreach, the federal government today filed with a United States district court a strengthened plan to implement NOAA’s 2008 biological opinion governing operation of the Federal Columbia River Power System. The plan bolsters protection for salmon and steelhead on the Columbia and Snake rivers in the Pacific Northwest by adding contingency measures that provide extra insurance that the fish will survive with an adequate potential for recovery.
Documents and background information are posted here.
July 30, 2009: The EPA is hosting a workshop on Columbia River toxics reduction Aug. 12 at Chelan PUD in Wenatchee, WA. For more information, see the EPA Region 10 website.
July 13, 2009: The federal action agencies, NOAA and the Northwest Power and Conservation Council have produced draft recommendations for research, monitoring and evaluation of salmon and steelhead populations in the Columbia Basin. The agencies will conduct a series of stakeholder workshops over the next several months to prioritize RM&E requirements for the 2008 FCRPS BiOp. See also list of supporting analysis.
May 7, 2009: In order to address the in lieu provision of the Northwest Power Act (Section 4(h)(10)(A)), the Three Treaty Tribes have identified sources of tribal and non-tribal funding by subbasin. These are described in Attachment H to the Three Treaty Tribes' Fish Accord.
May 1, 2009: The Action Agencies have posted updated information developed in consultation with the State of Washington on the habitat projects and their expected biological benefits under the proposed Estuary Habitat Memorandum of Agreement. The projects will be implemented by the State and its partners in the Columbia River estuary to help strengthen populations of steelhead and salmon.
April 10, 2009: Judge Redden has signed an order on 2009 FCRPS hydro operations for spring migrating fish. The operation continues the 2008 operations into 2009, subject to modifications necessary to accommodate new structures and research at specific dams.
April 3, 2009: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers today began hydro operations in the Columbia River Basin to help fish migrate safely to the ocean. See news release.
April 3, 2009: The Action Agencies are proposing to enter into a Memorandum of Agreement with the State of Washington for habitat projects in the Columbia River estuary to help strengthen populations of steelhead and salmon.
Feb. 26, 2009: BPA has committed about $7 million to overhaul an outdated fish ladder on the Klickitat River.
Feb. 25, 2009: Judge Redden has sent a second letter to parties in the 2008 FCRPS BiOp litigation asking further questions for March 6 oral argument.
Feb. 18, 2009: U.S. District Court Judge James Redden has sent a letter to parties in the NWF v. NOAA Fisheries litigation on the 2008 FCRPS BiOp asking specific questions for oral argument March 6, 2009. “Federal Defendants and the sovereigns have worked very hard on this biological opinion and it shows,” he says, “we have come a long way from the 2004 BiOp."
Jan. 26, 2009: A new Citizen Update is available. "Regional Partnerships, Historic Agreements, 'On the Ground' Actions", describes locally-developed ESA recovery plans and restoration actions in the Middle Columbia and Upper Columbia and providing updates on lamprey, biological opinions and the Columbia Basin Fish Accords. Click here to request printed copies. |