The Independent Scientific Review Panel is an eleven-member group of scientists appointed by the Northwest Power and Conservation Council to provide independent scientific review of its fish and wildlife recovery projects. A 1996 amendment to the Northwest Power Act directed the ISRP to advise the Council regarding projects that are directly funded by BPA under the Council’s Fish and Wildlife Program and evaluate whether they:

q are based on sound science principles;

q benefit fish and wildlife;

q have clearly defined objectives and outcomes; and

q have provisions for monitoring and evaluation of results

During the spring and summer of 2013, ISRP and Council staff are visiting habitat restoration projects for salmon and steelhead in the Columbia Basin.  The tour is part of a comprehensive review of 87 habitat projects funded by BPA under the Council’s Fish and Wildlife Program, known as the geographic review.  An important function of these reviews is to evaluate project results (i.e., are they addressing factors that limit salmon and steelhead survival) and how well the projects have adapted proposed future work based on those results.

The tour provides a great opportunity to feature the accomplishments of the federal caucus's many partners in the Columbia Basin.