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DATE:

September 20, 2001

TO:

Anadromous Fish Committee (AFC)

FROM:

Tom Iverson

SUBJECT:

Draft Action Notes for September 19, 2001 AFC Meeting

Attendees:

Bill Tweit (WDFW) and Tom Iverson (CBFWA)

By Phone:

Gary James (chair, CTUIR); Bruce Schmidt (Streamnet); Joe Peone, Chris Fisher and Steve Smith (contractor, CCT); Ron Boyce (ODFW); Tim Roth (USFWS); Pete Hassemer (IDFG); Patty O’Toole (CTWSRO); and Bob Foster (NMFS)

Time Allocation:

Objective 2. Rolling Province Review and Subbasin Summaries

Objective 3. FY 2001 Adjustments

0%

0%

50%

ITEM 1:

Review and Approve Agenda

The agenda was approved for today’s meeting with no modifications.

ITEM 2:

NWPPC Request on Fin Clip Mass Marking

The final draft of the response to the NWPPC was reviewed. The letter is out for CBFWA consent mail and will be sent to the NWPPC next week if there are no objections.

The AFC has discussed, and needs to organize, a formal presentation of this response to the NWPPC at their meeting in Portland on October 17-18. Tom Iverson will organize the presentation. Several names were suggested for participation including: Ken Johnson (PSMFC, co-chair of the marking committee), Mike Delarm (NMFS), Tim Roth (USFWS), Phil Roger (CRITFC), Lee Blankenship (WDFW), Trent Stickell (ODFW) and Pete Hassemer (IDFG). It was also suggested that Bruce Schmidt (Streamnet) play a role in the presentation. The presentation needs to focus on the many uses of marking in the basin currently and the potential to use marking for selective fisheries. The NWPPC members need to understand how marks are being used in the basin and what factors are determining the type of marks selected and number of marks employed for each of the various marking programs.

ACTION:

Mass Marking Presentation to NWPPC

Tom Iverson will contact the volunteers mentioned above and prepare a presentation for the October NWPPC meeting.

ITEM 3:

Colville Tribe Request

The Colville Tribe is requesting support for funding the development of two acclimation ponds for spring and summer chinook in the Okanogan Subbasin. The request was originally proposed during the Action Plan solicitation process to provide acclimation sites for smolts that will be released in March in the Okanogan River. Additional factors have raised the urgency of this proposal at this time. The fish are being reared at the Methow Hatchery by USFWS. Due to the drought year, that hatchery is running out of water and will have to remove 300,000 fish targeted for the Okanogan River by November of this year. The Colville Tribe contacted the Oroville/Tonasket Irrigation District (OTID) and has arranged to lease two of the OTID’s sediment settling ponds for use as acclimation ponds. Some engineering work will be necessary, but the ponds could be functional as acclimation facilities approximately 2-3 weeks after funding has been secured.

The total request for two acclimation ponds for spring and summer chinook is $199,862. This is a short term proposal to address issues raised by the drought in the Methow Valley. A longer term proposal will be submitted and reviewed in the Columbia Cascade Province rolling review. Finally, the CCT strongly believe that the lack of spill this year has caused significant mortality to summer chinook outmigrants that were coming out of the upper Columbia. This action would be one step towards mitigation of those losses.

ACTION:

AFC Recommendation to MMG

The AFC approved funding for the Colville Tribe Okanogan River temporary acclimation ponds for a total of $199,862. The funding would be provided from the anadromous fish placeholder.

ITEM 4:

Next Meeting

The next AFC meeting is scheduled for October 17, 2001 in Portland, Or. Please send in possible agenda items for that meeting.

The November 21, 2001 AFC meeting has been canceled. However, on November 15-16, 2001 the AFC will be reviewing the Blue Mountain and Mountain Snake provinces project recommendations in Portland.

Please mark you calendars.