FY 2003 Mainstem/Systemwide proposal 200309500

Section 1. General administrative information
Section 2. Past accomplishments
Section 3. Relationships to other projects
Section 4. Budgets for planning/design phase
Section 5. Budgets for construction/implementation phase
Section 6. Budgets for operations/maintenance phase
Section 7. Budgets for monitoring/evaluation phase
Section 8. Budget summary

Reviews and Recommendations

Additional documents

Title	Type
35043 Narrative	Narrative
35043 Powerpoint Presentation	Powerpoint Presentation
Sturgeon Overview	Powerpoint Presentation

Section 1. Administrative

Proposal title	Monitoring and Models for Adaptive Management of White Sturgeon
Proposal ID	200309500
Organization	U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)
Proposal contact person or principal investigator
Name	Michael J. Parsley
Mailing address	CRRL, 5501A Cook-Underwood Road Cook, WA 98605
Phone / email	5095382299 / michael_parsley@usgs.gov
Manager authorizing this project	Michael J. Parsley
Review cycle	Mainstem/Systemwide
Province / Subbasin	Mainstem/Systemwide /
Short description	Develop a quantitative tool for adaptive management that allows feedback from monitoring data and adjust policies related to harvest translocation, and stocking.
Target species	White sturgeon (Acipenser transmontanus)

Project location

Latitude	Longitude	Description
		Systemwide

Reasonable and Prudent Alternatives (RPAs)

Sponsor-reported:

RPA

Relevant RPAs based on NMFS/BPA review:

Reviewing agency	Action #	BiOp Agency	Description

Section 2. Past accomplishments

Year	Accomplishment
1997-2002	Contributed to a cooperative relicensing effort in the Middle Snake River by developing a population viability model for white sturgeon. The model was used to evaluate mitigation options, including improved water quality, passage, and translocation.

Section 3. Relationships to other projects

Project ID	Title	Description
198605000	White sturgeon mitigation and restoration in the Columbia and Snake rivers	This project will use data from ongoing studies to develop tools to investigate alternative management actions. Feedback will assist managers with developing management actions.
198806400	Kootenai River White Sturgeon Studies and Conservation Aquaculture and	This project will use data from ongoing studies to develop tools to investigate alternative management actions. Feedback will assist managers with developing management actions.
199700900	Evaluate Potential Means of Rebuilding White Sturgeon Populations in the Snake River Between Lower Granite and Hells Canyon Dams	This project will use data from ongoing studies to develop tools to investigate alternative management actions. Feedback will assist managers with developing management actions.
199502700	Develop and Implement Recovery Plan for Depressed Lake Roosevelt White Sturgeon Populations	This project will use data from ongoing studies to develop tools to investigate alternative management actions. Feedback will assist managers with developing management actions.

Section 4. Budget for Planning and Design phase

Task-based budget

Objective	Task	Duration in FYs	Estimated 2003 cost	Subcontractor

Outyear objectives-based budget

Objective	Starting FY	Ending FY	Estimated cost

Outyear budgets for Planning and Design phase

Section 5. Budget for Construction and Implementation phase

Task-based budget

Objective	Task	Duration in FYs	Estimated 2003 cost
1. Integrate basinwide information on white sturgeon habitat, growth and population status.	a. Gather and summarize data describing population sizes, length-weight relationships, and age-length relationships from studies of white sturgeon conducted in the basin.	1	$40,000
1.	b. Gather and summarize physical data describing river segments, reservoirs, and hydroprojects	1	$40,000
1.	c. Gather summaries of annual hydrology and daily temperature and flow data for each river segment.	1	$36,000
1.	d. Gather and summarize information on management variables.	1	$40,000
1.	e. Conduct workshop for stakeholders	1	$20,000
2. Develop a metapopulation model for Columbia River basin white sturgeon.	a. Incorporate new features into the model.	2	$0
2.	b. Calibrate the model to Columbia River basin data.	2	$0
2.	c. Evaluate growth differences among river segments with regard to environmental differences.	2	$0
3. Identify adaptive policies predicted to bring white sturgeon populations closer to desirable outcomes and farther from undesirable outcomes.	a. Incorporate monitoring feedbacks (adaptive policies) into the model.	3	$0
3.	b. Transport code to parallel environment for the computationally intensive optimization phase.	3	$0

Outyear objectives-based budget

Objective	Starting FY	Ending FY	Estimated cost
2. Develop a metapopulation model for Columbia Basin white sturgeon. Tasks a-c.	2004	2004	$190,000
3. Identify adaptive policies predicted to bring white sturgeon populations closer to desirable outcomes and farther from undesirable outcomes. Tasks a and b.	2005	2005	$140,000

Outyear budgets for Construction and Implementation phase

FY 2004	FY 2005
$190,000	$140,000

Section 6. Budget for Operations and Maintenance phase

Task-based budget

Objective	Task	Duration in FYs	Estimated 2003 cost	Subcontractor

Outyear objectives-based budget

Objective	Starting FY	Ending FY	Estimated cost

Outyear budgets for Operations and Maintenance phase

Section 7. Budget for Monitoring and Evaluation phase

Task-based budget

Objective	Task	Duration in FYs	Estimated 2003 cost	Subcontractor
3. Design adaptive policies predicted to bring white sturgeon populations closer to desirable outcomes.	c. Conduct a workshop to evaluate model results and outline a monitoring program suitable for validating model predictions.	3	$0

Outyear objectives-based budget

Objective	Starting FY	Ending FY	Estimated cost
3. Design adaptive policies predicted to bring white sturgeon populations closer to desirable outcomes and farther from undesirable outcomes. Task c.	2005	2006	$120,000

Outyear budgets for Monitoring and Evaluation phase

FY 2005	FY 2006
$50,000	$70,000

Section 8. Estimated budget summary

Itemized budget

Item	Note	FY 2003 cost
Personnel	FTE: 0.25 FTE, 14K(USGS) 0.67 FTE, 64K (ORNL)	$78,000
Fringe	5K (USGS) 32K (ORNL)	$37,000
Supplies	Software, hardware upgrades (ORNL)	$10,000
Travel	1K (USGS) 4K (ORNL)	$5,000
Indirect	37K (ORNL) 7K (USGS)	$44,000
Capital		$0
NEPA	None	$0
PIT tags		$0
Other	Workshop costs	$2,000
		$176,000

Total estimated budget

Total FY 2003 cost	$176,000
Amount anticipated from previously committed BPA funds	$0
Total FY 2003 budget request	$176,000
FY 2003 forecast from 2002	$0
% change from forecast	0.0%

Cost sharing

Organization	Item or service provided	Amount	Cash or in-kind
Idaho Power Company	Estimated continuation of Snake River PVA application for 2003	$75,000	cash

Other budget explanation

In addition to future funding, cost-share benefits to BPA include the development of the PVA model for white sturgeon applied to the Middle Snake River, which was funded by a tailored collaboration between the Electric Power Research Institute and Idaho Power Company ($400,000 from 1997-1999), and continued development as part of a relicensing process by Idaho Power Company ($483,000 from 2000-2002).

Reviews and recommendations

This information was not provided on the original proposals, but was generated during the review process.

REVIEW:
ISRP Preliminary Review (ISRP 2002-13)

Recommendation:
Fundable - no response required

Date:
Aug 2, 2002

Comment:

Fundable. No response is needed. This is a worthwhile project with well-qualified investigators. The project provides a much needed modeling component to complement sturgeon research and management in the basin. The model would be a refinement and expansion of the Snake River model developed by the PI. This project builds upon the Snake River study funded by EPRI and Idaho Power. The project plans to integrate basinwide sturgeon information, and then to develop a Columbia River basin model (including building in supplementation efforts). The model will then be used to identify adaptive policies. The plan is to use the model and simulations to identify critical uncertainties. Management decisions or actions that could come out of the model simulations might include migration (transplants, upstream passage of adults), supplementation (population augmentation via hatchery technology), harvest, etc.

REVIEW:
CBFWA Funding Recommendation

Recommendation:
Recommended Action

Date:
Oct 24, 2002

Comment:

The end product may benefit white sturgeon. Significant benefits to some extent depend on the quality of model inputs and the current state of knowledge regarding sturgeon population characteristics. The model will serve as a framework for organizing information developed by forums of managers in a collaborative setting. Such forums will be comprised of knowledgeable fisheries managers and sturgeon biologists. At a recent workshop more than 50 interested biologists and managers were enthusiastic about working together to develop a synthesis that addresses our current understanding of population biology, sampling techniques, conservation aquaculture, health management, genetics, status of geographic or reservoir-specific populations, and prioritizes or outlines research information gaps that impede recovery of white sturgeon populations and fisheries. Representatives from the Columbia Basin Fish and Wildlife Authority and from Bonneville Power Administration agreed to help set up a web space and list-server that will allow sturgeon biologists from throughout the Basin to form working groups and contribute to the synthesis. Project sponsors have a demonstrated track record for publishing and presenting findings in a variety of peer-reviewed forums. Workshops will be scheduled to receive information and to review products developed. The end product will likely not be distributed initially due to the need to ground truth. Cost share shown is work that will be completed in finalizing a white sturgeon population viability analysis for Idaho Power Company. The project is complementary to planned restoration activities for white sturgeon conducted by states and tribes. Data provided will be useful in evaluation and interpretation of research and management activities intended to restore white sturgeon productivity.

REVIEW:
ISRP Final Review (ISRP 2002-14)

Recommendation:
Fund

Date:
Nov 5, 2002

Comment:

Fundable. We place greater priority on funding this project than the funding priority inferred from CBFWA's designation of the project as a recommended action. No response was requested. This is a worthwhile project with well-qualified investigators. The project provides a much needed modeling component to complement sturgeon research and management in the basin. The model would be a refinement and expansion of the Snake River model developed by the principal investigator. This project builds upon the Snake River study funded by EPRI and Idaho Power. The project plans to integrate basinwide sturgeon information, and then to develop a Columbia River basin model (including building in supplementation efforts). The model will then be used to identify adaptive policies. The plan is to use the model and simulations to identify critical uncertainties. Management decisions or actions that could come out of the model simulations might include migration (transplants, upstream passage of adults), supplementation (population augmentation via hatchery technology), harvest, etc.

REVIEW:
NMFS Review

Recommendation:

Date:
Jan 21, 2003

Comment:

Statement of Potential Biological Benefit

Comments
Not Reviewed

Already ESA Required?

Biop?
No

REVIEW:
NWPPC Funding Recommendation

Recommendation:
Do Not Fund (Tier 3)

Date:
Jun 11, 2003

Comment:

Category:
3. Other projects not recommended by staff

Comments: