The Council took public comment through June 22, 2020, on the revised draft of Part I of what will be the 2020 Addendum to the Council’s 2014 Columbia River Basin Fish and Wildlife Program. See the comments.
Background
The Council began the amendment process in May of 2018 by soliciting recommendations for program amendments from the region’s state and federal fish and wildlife agencies, Indian tribes, and others, as required by the Northwest Power Act. After reviewing the recommendations, supporting information submitted with the recommendations, and comments received on the recommendations, in July of 2019, the Council issued a draft 2020 Addendum composed of two parts: Part I on program performance and Part II on program implementation. Based on the comments received on the draft, in December of 2019, the Council decided to extend the time for deciding on Part I to allow staff to work with the fish and wildlife agencies and tribes in a focused process to refine and revise Part I. Part II of the 2020 Addendum was adopted by the Council in January 2020.
Pursuant to the Council’s decision to extend the time for deciding on Part I, staff held a number of technical workshops in early 2020 in which the Council received significant input from representatives of the fish and wildlife agencies and tribes as well as others. With the conclusion of those workshops in April, the Council prepared this revised draft of Part I of the 2020 Addendum, and now invites comment on that revised draft.
The Council expects to make a final decision on the program amendments in August of 2020. The Council will make its final program amendment decisions on the basis of the recommendations, supporting documents, comments on the recommendations and the draft addendum, comments received during the technical workshops on Part I, and comments now received on the revised draft Part I.
Sincerely,
Patty O'Toole, Director, Fish and Wildlife Division
