BPA Fish and Wildlife FY 1998 Proposal

Section 1. Summary
Section 2. Goals
Section 3. Background
Section 4. Purpose and methods
Section 5. Planned activities
Section 6. Outcomes, monitoring and evaluation
Section 7. Relationships
Section 8. Costs and FTE

see CBFWA and BPA funding recommendations

Section 1. Summary

Title of project
Independent Scientific Group Support

BPA project number   8907201

Short description
Provides funding for one member of the Independent Scientific Group (now the Independent Scientific Advisory Board) through a contract with DOE

Business name of agency, institution or organization requesting funding
Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Proposal contact person or principal investigator

Section 2. Goals

General
Supports a healthy Columbia basin; maintains biological diversity; maintains genetic integrity; increases run sizes or populations; provides needed habitat protection; adaptive management (research or M&E); program coordination or planning; basinwide

Section 3. Background

Stream area affected

Stream name   N/A
Stream miles affected   N/A
Hydro project   N/A (All)
Project is an office site only   N/A
Subbasin   N/A
Land ownership   N/A
Acres affected   N/A
Habitat types   N/A (All)

History
The Scientific Review Group was established under the Implementation Planning Process in 1989 and in l995 became the Independent Scientifiic Group as called for in the NPPC's l994 Fish and Wildlife Program, Measure 3.2B.1. In 1996 it became the Independent Scientific Advisory Board (ISAB), advising both the NPPC and the ESA activities of the National Marine Fisheries Service.

Biological results achieved
Scientific advice has effects on biological resources only through many intermediate steps. Although the SRG/ISG/ISAB has influenced the management of the FWP in many ways, the result is not yet apparent in increases in biological populations.

Project reports and papers
1990: Review of five supplementation proposals; Review of hatchery effectiveness workplan; Guidelines for research proposals; Review of three supplementation proposals; 1989-90 Annual Report.

1991: Habitat improvement standards; review of Clay manuscript; 1990-91 Annual Report; Review of RASP draft status report; Review of fish disease activities; Review of fish habitat classification project; Review of Miller et al supplementation report.

1992: 1991-92 Annual Report; Review of Skalski & Giorgi document; Review of NMFS/UW proposal for survival estimates.

1993: Evaluation of need for new scoping groups; Evaluation of BPA Projects Review; Critical Uncertainties Report; Guidelines for SRG in review process; comments on structure of an ISG; l992-93 Annual Report; Recommendations regarding peer review of projects; Review of Hilborn et al manuscript.

1994: Recommended procedures for peer review and proposal review; 1993-1994 Annual Report;

1995: Smolt Monitoring Review; Strategy for the Biennial Evaluation of the Columbia River Basin Fish and Wildlife Program; Review of Hungry Horse Mitigation Implementation Plan.

1996: Return to the River, Restoration of Salmonid Fishes in the Columbia River System; an inventory of 1996 reports will be filed with the ISAB annual report.

Adaptive management implications
The ISG/ISAB advises on the scientific basis for management options as requested.

Section 4. Purpose and methods

Specific measureable objectives
Objective 1: Contributions to preparation of a biennial review of science behind the Fish and Wildlife Program (with Return to the River being the first in 1996). Measure: An ISAB scientific review on every even year suitable for public comment and publication.
Objective 2: Contributions to responses through appropriate channels, usually in report form, to questions for advice and scientific review on specific topics received from BPA, NPPC, NMFS, CBFWA. Measure: Timely provision of written documents by the ISAB in the form requested.

Critical uncertainties
The SRG/ISG produced a critical uncertainties document in 1993: Whitney et al. 1993. Critical Uncertainties in the Fish and Wildlife Program. Bonneville Power Adminsitration, Portland, Oregon. (note that this form gives an erroneous definition of "critical uncertainites" as this phrase is used in scientific rationales).

Biological need
The ISAB contibutes scientific advice, review, and analysis on all of the biological problems in the Columbia River Basin that relate to its terms of reference with NPPC and NMFS, primarily hydropower impacts and ESA activites, respectively.

Hypothesis to be tested
N/A

Alternative approaches
N/A

Justification for planning
The Independent Scientific Advisory Board (previously the ISG) provides peer review of projects and responds to agency requests, when directed through the NPPC and NMFS, as needed.

Methods
The ISAB operates as topical subcommittees and committee-of-the-whole. Individuals contribute by participation in extensive group discussion and by drafting of written material. The whole ISAB generally meets monthly, with subcommittees meeting as needed. All documents transmitted to the NPPC and NMFS are full ISAB consensus documents, often with alternative interpretations identified and the levels of confidence in conclusions indicated. Outside experts are occasionally added for topics outside the technical expertise of the Board. All operations of the ISAB are governed by a publically available terms of reference agreed upon by the members and NPPC and NMFS.

Section 5. Planned activities

Constraints or factors that may cause schedule or budget changes
N/A

Section 6. Outcomes, monitoring and evaluation

SUMMARY OF EXPECTED OUTCOMES

Expected performance of target population or quality change in land area affected
Useful scientific advice to NPPC, NMFS, BPA, CBFWA and others.

Present utilization and convservation potential of target population or area
N/A

Assumed historic status of utilization and conservation potential
N/A

Long term expected utilization and conservation potential for target population or habitat
N/A

Contribution toward long-term goal
N/A

Indirect biological or environmental changes
N/A

Physical products
N/A

Environmental attributes affected by the project
N/A

Changes assumed or expected for affected environmental attributes
N/A

Measure of attribute changes
N/A

Assessment of effects on project outcomes of critical uncertainty
N/A

Information products
Biennial reviews and topical reports as requested by NPPC, NMFS, BPA, and others.

Coordination outcomes
See Reports Section

MONITORING APPROACH
N/A

Provisions to monitor population status or habitat quality
N/A

Data analysis and evaluation
N/A

Information feed back to management decisions
N/A

Critical uncertainties affecting project's outcomes
N/A

Evaluation
Success would be judged by whether useful scientific advice is being provided to the NPPC and NMFS through IASB reports. Specific elements as measures of success are the ISAB reports and follow-up actions documented by the NPPC and NMFS.

Incorporating new information regarding uncertainties
N/A

Increasing public awareness of F&W activities
ISAB reports, especially scientific reviews, are publicly available. We also expect to publish accounts of our work in appropriate scientific and general-public media.

Section 7. Relationships

Opportunities for cooperation
Opportunities and requirements depend on the advice requested. We work with all agencies and tribes, as directed by the ISAB’s principal sponsors, the Northwest Power Planning council and the National Marine Fisheries Service.

Section 8. Costs and FTE

1997 Planned  $100,000

Other non-financial supporters
N/A

How does percentage apply to direct costs
Total direct costs