Decision documents and conclusions

• Council decision letter to Bonneville on the recommendations on operational losses and on regional Habitat Evaluation Procedures (HEP)
• Decision document from November 2015 Council Meeting
• WAC conclusions and recommendations from November 2015
• Comments on draft WAC conclusions and recommendations from October 2015:
  • Upper Columbia United Tribes
  • Bonneville Power Administration
  • Kootenai Tribe and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (regarding attachment)
  • Idaho Department of Fish & Game

Background

In the 2009 Fish and Wildlife Program, the Council called for the initiation of a Wildlife Mitigation Advisory Committee to:

1. Recommend a commonly accepted ledger of habitat units acquired
2. Recommend to the Council ways to resolve issues about accounting for habitat units
3. Develop a common data base for tracking, assigning and recording habitat units

In addition, “[a]s part of the Advisory Committee, the Council will work with Bonneville and the managers to develop a comprehensive agreement on the proper crediting method for construction and inundation losses or strategies that will allow parties to reach long-term settlement agreements. Once completed, the Council will consider adopting the comprehensive agreement into the Program.” To carry out that work the Council chartered the Wildlife Crediting Forum (WCF). The WCF completed its work and made its recommendations to the Council in 2009. However, the WCF did not address the future needs for monitoring evaluation efforts and future need for Regional Habitat Evaluation Procedure (HEP) Teams.

At the November, 2012 monthly meeting the Council made several decisions regarding processes and activities that were reviewed through the Council’s Program Evaluation and Recommendation Committee. At that time the Council directed the staff to take the several actions with regard to the Habitat Evaluation Procedures Process, including the reconvening of the Wildlife Crediting Forum (WCF) to address needs and future plans for HEP. At its February 2013 monthly meeting the Council accepted the recommendations of from that process and directed the establishment of the Wildlife Advisory Committee (WAC) to facilitate discussions between resource managers, BPA, the Council, and other interested parties to plan the future for Regional HEP Team needs and to make recommendations and guide the Regional HEP Team into the future where work on operational losses will create a need for employment of new methods and technologies.

For more information view WAC Charter, plus October 2015 charter renewal.

Contact Mark Fritsch at 503-222-5161 for information.