Artificial Production Policy Statement on Columbia Basin Hatcheries: A
Program in Transition
February 17, 1999 | document 99-2
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To interested parties:
In late 1997, Congress directed the Northwest Power Planning Council to
review all federally funded artificial production programs for fish in the
Columbia River Basin and produce a "formal recommendation for a
coordinated policy for the future operation of federally funded hatcheries
in the basin and how to obtain such a coordinated policy."
Pursuant to the direction from Congress, the Council initiated what it
calls the Artificial Production Review, with a goal of producing the
report requested by Congress in May or June of this year. The Council has
extended the scope of this review to all hatcheries, regardless of funding
source, in order to address the spirit of the Congressional language
calling for a "coordinated policy". With the assistance of
state, tribal and federal fishery managers and others, the Council staff
has been gathering and reviewing information about hatchery policies and
practices and considering possible policy reforms. An independent Science
Review Team has prepared an initial draft of a state-of-the-science report
for this Council effort.
Armed with the science team's initial report and a draft "Strawfish"
of artificial production policies, the Council held a two-day workshop in
mid-January in Portland to discuss possible production policy
recommendations as well as ideas for implementing policy reforms. Jim
Waldo and associates from the Gordon, Thomas law firm in Tacoma
facilitated the workshop. Following the workshop, Council staff continued
to work with the facilitators and workshop participants on a draft
statement of production policies.
Attached to this letter is a draft of the production policy statement
that has been the product of this effort so far, as well as the
facilitators' report from the workshop, which discusses the development of
the policy statement and recommends actions for implementing reforms in
artificial production policy in the many different production programs
that now exist in the basin (document 99-2).
We invite your comments on the draft policy statement for artificial
production:
- Are these the appropriate policies to be applying to artificial
production activities in the Columbia River Basin?
- Are we missing any policy reforms needed in the Columbia River
Basin?
We also invite your comments on the recommendations in Section III of the workshop
facilitators' report (beginning at page 19) for implementing these
policy reforms:
? Artificial production programs have many different sources of
authority, funding and oversight. This will make implementation of needed
reforms complicated and complex. What actions can the Council recommend to
Congress and to the region to ensure that needed reforms in artificial
production activities will actually take place?
The Council will conduct a series of public meetings around the region
in March to receive public comment on the policy statement and
implementation ideas. These meetings have been scheduled at:
Spokane: Tuesday, March 16, or Wednesday, March 17,
at the Council's work session meeting at the Hotel Lusso, North 1 Post
Street. An agenda noting the time for public comments on the policy
framework and draft recommendations to Congress will be posted at the
Council's website approximately a week before the meeting.
Kalispell: Wednesday, March 17,
7 p.m. to 9 p.m., Cavanaugh's, 20 North Main Street, Lake McDonald Room.
Portland: Thursday, March 18,
2 p.m. to 4 p.m., Council headquarters, 851 S.W. Sixth Avenue, Suite 1100.
Yakima: Monday, March 22,
7 p.m. to 9 p.m., Yakima Valley Doubletree Hotel, 1507 North First.
Pendleton: Tuesday, March 23,
7 p.m. to 9 p.m., Council office, 11 S.W. Byers.
Astoria: Wednesday, March 24,
7 p.m. to 9 p.m., Columbia River Maritime Museum.
Portland : Tuesday, March 30,
7 p.m. to 9 p.m., Council headquarters, 851 S.W. Sixth Avenue, Suite 1100.
Boise: Tuesday, April 6,
Doubletree Hotel Boise Downtown, 1800 Fairview, as part of a Council
meeting. An agenda noting the time for public comments on the policy
framework and draft recommendations to Congress will be posted at the
Council's website, www.nwcouncil.org, approximately a week before the meeting.
If you prefer to submit your comments by mail, please address them to
Mark Walker, Director of Public Affairs, Northwest Power Planning Council,
851 SW Sixth Ave., Portland, Oregon 97204, or e-mail to .
Please label your comments "Artificial Production Review" and
submit them by April 1, 1999.
The Council will consider your comments as it decides what
recommendations to make to Congress. It will also continue to work with
the Science Review Team in revising its science report, and with the
fishery managers and other active participants in the Artificial
Production Review to develop the policy recommendations.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Todd Maddock Chair
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