Bonneville Power Administration Fish & Wildlife Implementation Plan Final Environmental Impact Statement

Technical Report · Fri May 09 04:00:00 EDT 2003

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/823236· OSTI ID:823236

The Pacific Northwest has long prided itself on its bountiful and diverse natural resources--its forests and grasslands, minerals and rivers, fish and wildlife. The Region has also relied on these natural resources to serve multiple, and sometimes conflicting, uses. The independent demands of the whole spectrum of human uses (such as irrigation, municipal water supplies, grazing, fishing and hunting, electric power production, recreation, timber harvest, and transportation) have placed increasing stress on the natural resources of the Columbia River Basin. One consequence is that, over the last decade, the number of fish and wildlife species listed as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) has dramatically increased. The Region has sought to stem and even reverse the species decline. Unfortunately, after a decade of good intentions, there has been less progress than is necessary to reverse this trend. Here are the most important reasons: (1) Different groups have different value judgments about priorities, leading to different (and often conflicting) ideas about what recovery and mitigation efforts should be. (2) There is no clear and agreed-upon scientific answer to the problem. (3) Conflicting directives and jurisdictions of regional authorities have meant that funds dedicated to fish and wildlife mitigation and recovery efforts have often been used less efficiently and effectively than they otherwise could have been. Recently, regional entities have taken steps to work together to develop a comprehensive and coordinated planning approach for species recovery and mitigation. For example, over the past several years the Council's Columbia River Basin Fish and Wildlife Program, the Recommendations for the Protection and Restoration of Fish In The Columbia River Basin by the Governors of the four Northwestern States, and the Federal Caucus' Conservation of Columbia Basin Fish: Final Basinwide Salmon Recovery Strategy (Basinwide Strategy; formerly referred to as the ''All H paper'') have all emphasized the importance of coordinated planning. Although science cannot yet point out a clear and agreed-upon path, the Region is working toward a unified planning approach to mitigation and recovery of fish and wildlife populations. BPA recognizes it must be prepared to fund the implementation of the ratepayers' share of the regional fish and wildlife mitigation and recovery efforts. There are two basic ways to define a regional policy for fish and wildlife mitigation and recovery: Define the Policy first--develop with a policy and define the actions to carry it out. Define the Actions first--develop a set plan of actions, then sum up the actions to arrive at a policy. BPA must be prepared to respond effectively and efficiently whether a policy-first or an actions-first policy emerges.

• Research Organization: U.S. Department of Energy, Bonneville Power Administration (US)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of NEPA Policy and Assistance (EH-42) (US)
• OSTI ID: 823236
• Report Number(s): DOE/EIS-0312
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
BONNEVILLE POWER ADMINISTRATION
BPA
COLUMBIA RIVER BASIN
EIS
ELECTRIC POWER
ENDANGERED SPECIES
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENTS
FORESTS
IMPLEMENTATION
IRRIGATION
MITIGATION
OR
PLANNING
PRODUCTION
RANGELANDS
SALMON
WA
WATER