The Council has established an oversight board for the Center, with representation from NOAA Fisheries, state fish and wildlife agencies, tribes, the Council, and others to ensure that the functions are implemented consistent with the Council’s program. The oversight board will conduct an annual review of the performance of the center and develop a goal-oriented implementation plan to assure regional accountability and compatibility with the regional data management system, as well as program consistency. The oversight board will also work with the center and the ISAB to organize a regular system of independent and timely science review of analytical products. The oversight board shall determine the requirements for peer review of analytical products. The center shall prepare an annual report to the oversight board and the council, summarizing its activities and accomplishments. There will be no other oversight board or board of directors for the center.
Implementation shall include funds for a manager and for technical and clerical support necessary in order to perform the stated functions. The fish passage manager will be selected based on his or her knowledge of the multiple purposes of the regional hydropower system, and of the water needs of fish and wildlife, as well as the ability to communicate and work with fish and wildlife agencies, tribes, the Council, project operators, regulators, and other interested parties, including members of the public. The manager shall be supervised by the contracting entity selected by Bonneville, and the contractor shall have the authority and obligation to conduct an annual performance review of the manager, after consultation with the oversight board.
Operation of the center should include a person with expertise in analyzing storage reservoir operations and in-season impacts on resident fish from operations of the Federal Columbia River Power System. When carrying out its functions, the center should consult with fish and wildlife managers who have knowledge and expertise on reservoir operations and resident fish requirements.
The center shall continue to provide an empirical data base of fish passage information for use by the region, not just by fish and wildlife managers. No information collected — and no analyses — shall be considered proprietary. The oversight board and the fish and wildlife managers will ensure that the data base conforms to appropriate standards for data management, including review of the data base by an appropriate scientific or data-review group. The Council may revise the center’s fish-passage data collection functions as the region develops a comprehensive data management system.
