FY 2000 proposal 198909600

Section 1. Administrative

Project location

Reasonable and Prudent Alternatives (RPAs)

Section 2. Past accomplishments

Section 3. Relationships to other projects

Section 4. Budget for Planning and Design phase

Task-based budget

Outyear objectives-based budget

Outyear budgets for Planning and Design phase

Section 5. Budget for Construction and Implementation phase

Task-based budget

Outyear objectives-based budget

Outyear budgets for Construction and Implementation phase

Section 6. Budget for Operations and Maintenance phase

Task-based budget

Outyear objectives-based budget

Outyear budgets for Operations and Maintenance phase

Section 7. Budget for Monitoring and Evaluation phase

Task-based budget

Outyear objectives-based budget

Outyear budgets for Monitoring and Evaluation phase

Section 8. Estimated budget summary

Itemized budget

Total estimated budget

Cost sharing

Other budget explanation

Schedule Constraints: The major potential constraint in this study is the availability of parr for sampling from wild and natural populations. This was not a problem in 1989-94, but in 1995 and 1996 lethal collections of spring/summer chinook salmon for allozymes were suspended because of record low returns of adults in 1994 and 1995. In those years, we placed more emphasis on nonlethal fin clips for DNA analysis and continued to sample from hatchery populations as feasible. Lethal samples from natural populations in 1997 were restricted to three collections on the South Fork Salmon River. Larger adult returns in 1997 provided for lethal sampling of juveniles from most study sites in the Summer of 1998. Sampling in 1999 should also be feasible without undue risk to wild/natural populations, but the abundance of parr in subsequent years is more uncertain. Appropriate levels, types, and methods of sampling will continue to be determined in consultation with state agency biologists, and through the process of securing state and federal ESA collection permits. Because of uncertainty regarding obtaining lethal samples for allozyme analysis, more of our work in the future will rely on nondestructive DNA analysis. Sample availability will become less constraining as the emphasis of our research shifts increasingly from allozyme to DNA methods in this phase of the study. In this phase of the study, allozyme samples are likely to be taken only every 3-5 years from the wild and natural populations that were formerly sampled approximately every year. The other extreme, that of too many returning adults, could complicate the Little Sheep Creek reproductive success component of the study. Excessive numbers of adults returning to the weir (e.g., 1000 or more) could delay completion of genotyping and increase materials costs (because all potential parents must be typed). Because the samples can be safely stored, some delay in processing them would not seriously compromise the success of the proposed study.

Reviews and recommendations

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

Comment:

Comments: This is an excellent, well-written proposal. Summary statements of findings were provided showing significant progress. Several papers based on the results have been published in peer review journals, which indicate acceptance of the work by the scientific community. The study continues to make an important contribution to the understanding of the genetic structure of Columbia River anadromous salmonids.

Nevertheless, proposed uses of the data regarding genetic structure obtained in this study and in Project 900550 are not clear. Important questions remain concerning methods and strategies for protecting gene diversity in the Snake River basin, as well as identifying the amounts of diversity that need protection to ensure the future of these species. Use of resources to continually update databases with more refined information may not provide useful input for such questions, and may only provide an excuse for failing to make long overdue decisions to protect these resources.

Benefits: The project could be the basis of a conservation program, based on the present knowledge, to identify and protect gene diversity in the basin's fishes. Data from the present study can then be used to provide a continuing "test" of the program to identify deficiencies. Short of that, the project is not likely to provide any significant benefit for the fish.

Comment:

Comment:

Programmatic Criteria 2: Met? No - Some objectives not clearly defined

Milestone Criteria 3: Met? No - 10 year project now a 20 year project?

Resource Criteria 4: Met? Yes -

Comment:

Comment:

Sponsor comments: See comment at Council's website