At the Council’s April 1, 2011 request, the ISRP reviewed a revised proposal for the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation’s Fish Accord Project, Natural Production Monitoring and Management (#2008-311-00). The project goals are to 1) continue annual life stage monitoring of wild spring Chinook salmon and steelhead in the Warm Springs River and Shitike Creek, and (2) provide management and co-management direction of fisheries resources in the Deschutes River Subbasin. The ISRP reviewed earlier versions of this proposal in 2008 and 2010. In its latest review of June 16, 2010, the ISRP provided specific recommendations and comments for each of the projects’ objectives (ISRP 2010-20).
ISRP recommendations and specific comments are provided in the attached memo for individual proposal objectives, as was done in the 2010 ISRP review.
Overall, the response provided a more comprehensive presentation of past data than was provided in the earlier version of the proposal. The data provided are useful. Similarly the response included a useful description of the sampling design, data collection protocols, and statistical analysis methods. However, the ISRP would appreciate a more thorough presentation of the interpretation of this data and how it has guided management decisions.
More information is required to address many concerns expressed below. Most of these concerns could be handled during contracting. The following issues should be resolved through a response to the ISRP:
1. What management decisions will these data inform?
2. Will the data, including PIT-tag data, be sufficiently precise to adequately manage risk and provide confidence in decisions made? Evidence of data adequacy should be provided.
3. Will the GRTS-based sampling design be adequate given the physical constraints in the study area?
