At the Council’s February 14 request, the ISRP reviewed a response for the Tucannon River Programmatic Habitat Project (#2010-077-00). This project is proposed by the Snake River Salmon Recovery Board. The goal of this project is to restore habitat function and channel processes in the priority reaches of the Tucannon River to improve spring Chinook productivity, as identified in the 2008 FCRPS Biological Opinion.
The ISRP finds that the response does not address many of the questions raised in the initial ISRP review. Some additional information is provided in the response via linkages to various planning documents. Nonetheless, the rationale for the proposed projects is still too vague to determine whether or not they are technically justified. The proponents must clarify the hypothesized linkages between proposed restoration actions, habitat improvements and VSP parameters in the Tucannon River and how progress will be monitored. The information provided in support of the establishment of a program to select future restoration projects remains vague. Consequently, the ISRP finds that the proposal, augmented by the response, does not meet scientific review criteria.
