State Agency Measures

Oregon is taking a bold, new step toward integrated watershed management by forming partnerships to address critical natural resource problems in a comprehensive and cooperative way. The Oregon Coastal Salmon Restoration Initiative (OCSRI) is evidence of the depth and breadth of the political, institutional, and grassroots commitment of the state to protecting coastal salmon and their habitats.

The approach taken in the Oregon Plan recognizes all of the attributes of aquatic health and their intimate connection to the health of salmon populations. The state natural resource agencies see salmon as a critical indicator of healthy ecosystems. Fish in danger translates to ecosystems in danger. The response must be comprehensive as well as targeted.

The key tenets of the Oregon Coastal Salmon Restoration Initiative are: 1) an ecosystem approach which requires a systematic consideration of the full range of attributes of aquatic health, 2) a focus on reversing factors for decline and meeting objectives 3) use of adaptive management and a comprehensive monitoring strategy, and 4) building constituents and citizens into the restoration process.

In moving away from a largely programmatic approach to natural resource management, Oregon is rapidly moving toward a geographically targeted, resource-based approach. This is in light of the growing recognition that ecosystems can best be maintained through a holistic management approach. Integrated watershed management involves the systematic consideration of the various dimensions of water, its interaction with other systems and with social and economic development. (Mitchell 1990). The intent of the OCSRI is to conserve and restore functional elements of ecosystems that support fish, wildlife, and people.

The success of this effort will depend on sustaining strong and lasting local-state-federal partnerships. As we move away from the traditional Òagency by agencyÓ approach to solving resource management problems, we move toward inclusive and integrated planning and implementation at the watershed level.

The state natural resource agencies support the development of management strategies that recognize the entire range of potentially limiting factors -- such as streamflows, riparian conditions, stream morphology, habitat diversity, and water quality. It is not work on any single factor that will protect salmon and their habitats, but rather conjunctive, interagency action based on identified limiting factors. In concert, agencies and local partners will design the appropriate remedies to protect and restore all attributes of aquatic health in coastal river basins. State natural resource agencies recognize that in order to be effective, this integrated approach must be well planned and focused on implementation. Locally based solutions will be strengthened, supported and monitored by state agency programs.

Oregon has a strong foundation for conservation of natural resources guided by existing statutes, administrative rules, and policies. Many of the actions recommended in this plan build from existing state programs. For example the Senate Bill 1010 program, a state program to address water quality problems on agricultural lands, is a key ingrediant of the plan. Other examples include the Oregon Forest Practices Act and state laws governing water appropriations.

Importantly, actions to restore salmon populations and habitat have required agencies in many instances to shift their focus and efforts to the coastal basins. In many other cases, proposed actions represent entirely new commitments that go beyond existing state programs.

Organization Of Document

This document includes the Oregon state natural resource agencies contributions to the

Coastal Salmon Restoration Initiative and represents an unparalleled effort in cooperation on a complex resource management issue. Issue teams were developed for each of the four major issue areas and the following four main chapters of this document represent the product of those efforts.

Chapter 1: Water Quality
Chapter 2: Physical Habitat
Chapter 3: Water Quantity
Chapter 4: Fish Management

For each issue area, the natural resources agencies developed factors for decline, objectives, and management measures as discussed below.

1. Key Factors for Decline of Salmon Populations

   Background on Factors for Decline: Multiple human-induced factors contribute to the decline of coastal salmonids. The primary factors for decline vary from basin to basin, and between watersheds. The factors for decline also vary for different life stages. The factors for decline that are within human control and that were addressed by the OCSRI team are those listed below:

   • Channel Morphology Changes
   • Substrate Changes
   • Loss of Large Woody Debris
   • Loss of Estuarine Rearing Habitat
   • Loss of Wetlands
   • Loss /Degradation of Riparian Areas
   • Water Quality Degradation
   • Changes in Flow
   • Blockage /Passage Impediments
   • Elimination of Habitat
   • Direct Take

2. Biological and Physical Objectives that will Reverse the Factors for Decline

   Backgrond on Objectives: Objectives are needed to provide the goals and targets for aligning measures and actions. The establishment of objectives and timelines for eliminating or reducing all major factors for decline is valuable. This is coupled with the need to establish quantifiable criteria and standards by which progress toward each objective will be measured. There is more detail on the developemnt of objectives later in this overview.

3. Agency Management Measures Crafted to Meet Objectives.

   Backgrond on Agency Management Measures: Management measures (developed conjunctively with local and federal partners) are specific actions designed to collectively make progress toward each objective.

Issue Teams: A Cooperative Effort to Revise the OCSRI Plan

The factors for decline, followed by objectives and measures give an overview of the causes of declining fish populations, the desired future conditions, and the roadmap of management and conservation actions that are necessary to restore fish populations and maintain healthy ecosystems. Arriving at these combinations of factors, objectives and measures required intensive interagency debate and discussions.

The issue teams brought the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), state agencies, and in some cases federal partners and stakeholders, together to discuss limitations of the OCSRI and to explore and negotiate for needed improvements. The issue teams:

• Defined what constitutes appropriate factors for decline and corresponding objectives for each of the four major issue areas.

• Provided an infusion to the plan of new information that will assist the NMFS in determining the adequacy of the plan.

• Demonstrated that existing programs and proposed measures adequately address various issues, or in some cases that additional management measures are needed to meet biological objectives.

The result of these efforts is a substantive, thorough revision to the first draft of the Oregon Coastal Salmon Restoration Initiative Plan (August, 1996).

Physical and Biological Objectives

Establishing Quantitative Objectives

A critical component of the recovery strategy revolves around the setting of appropriate objectives. The importance of this topic warrents a discussion here of the states position that objectives are, of necessity, evolutionary. The state sees the development of objectives as a dynamic process whereby new, regionally relevant, scientific data is continuously assimilated into the recovery strategy.

In the Oregon Coastal Salmon Restoration Initiative, the state natural resources agencies are making good faith efforts at establishing quantifiable objectives with timelines. In some cases agencies are constrained by lack of technical and scientific information. In other cases, some of the estabished objectives are based on policy decisions which actually go beyond what is believed to be required to protect and maintain salmon populations.

State agencies have developed interim objectives based on existing science and wherever possible, these objectives have been made quantitative. The existing objectives are viable targets to guide the CSRI monitoring program. In some cases, such as estuary conditions, various water quantity issues, and fish genetics, a process has been identified for reaching biological objectives. Where specific objectives are not yet identified , the state recommends that Soil and Water Conservation Districts and watershed councils use a variety of available tools and information such as the NMFS matrix values, as interim objectives. It should be noted that there has been some significant concern raised about the concepts and values in the NMFS matrix. These interim values will be used to guide restoration and monitoring activities and will be reviewed on an annual basis. The independent scientific group, a panel of reputable experts that will be contributing to the OCSRI, will provide guidance on identifying priority areas where the objectives need more development.

The state does not view the development of objectives as a static process, but rather as a dynamic process whereby new information is continuously assimilated into the strategy. The comprehensive monitoring strategy will aid in the adjustment of objectives, over time. It is recognized that a continuum exists between today's current conditions and the desired future state.

Continuum . . .

current conditions

stages, prioritized objectives

desired furture state

Adaptive Management Approach

Over time the state agencies will work with watershed councils, and the independent scientific group to review data from the CSRI monitoring strategy. As mentioned, this information will be used to refine objectives. The state will adopt a cooperative adaptive management approach to be carried out in conjunction with watershed councils, stakeholders and scientists to evaluate monitoring data and watershed assessments. This approach will allow values, targets and timelines to be adjusted as needed. Critical ecological status and trend monitoring data will enable the OCSRI team to revise objectives over time.

Comprehensive Monitoring Strategy

The monitoring strategy is comprised of biological and physical sampling conducted to determine if salmon habitats and populations are responding as expected to conservation and restoration efforts. The monitoring strategy is integral to the refinement and verification of staged targets and biological objectives and will aid in improving the efficiency and effectiveness of management measures and investments.

The ecological status and trends data that will be provided by the monitoring strategy will allow decision makers to assess objectively whether or not the states ecological resources are responding positively, negatively or not at all to the recovery program. Decisions can then be made on where changes in objectives and agency management measures or other areas are needed. Using the comprehensive monitoring strategy, the state will monitor to see that the factors for decline are being halted and reversed, and that the statesÕs comprehensive recovery strategy is producing the desired results. The CSRI monitoring team will track the overall accountability of the plan, and will measure changes in salmon populations and in the environmental conditions necessary to support salmon populations.

Part of the monitoring strategy includes implementation monitoring, which will be done through completion of annual work plans for all state natural resource agencies. Work plans will help track progress and help provide a formative evaluation of progress made to date.

Yearly Review

Each year, state and federal natural resource agencies will meet along with watershed council members and other stakeholders to jointly review workplans, monitoring data and to consider incorporating new data into the recovery strategy, as appropriate. At this time feedback from the independent scientific group will also be incorporated. Agencies recognize the need to respond to new data and information as it is collected over time. In this way, adaptive management principles will be put into practice.

Incorporation of Local Watershed Analysis

In some cases, objectives established for certain ecoregions may be unattainable, due to regional variability. Watershed analysis will provide information that will help refine the understanding of physical and biological processes and how these vary across the landscape. This information can be used to develop ecoregion or basin level standards that more accurately reflect the spatial and temporal variability in physical and ecological processes, and specifically the capability of watersheds and basins to support salmon. Hence, objectives will need revision over time to account for appropriate local varaibility. Objectives need to be tailored to individual watersheds--this test of appropriateness is critical. Local watershed analyses managed by watershed councils and supported by technical advisory committees will produce important information that will feed into improving biological objectives, agency measures and ultimately into the recovery strategy.

Local-state-federal partners will work to ensure reliability and standardization of local watershed analysis methods. Ensuring the technical credibility of the local watershed analysis that is undertaken is a high priority of the OCSRI. Several key mechanisms are in place to provide for reliability of information generated through watershed analysis. These include:

1. Technical Advisory Committees for Watershed Councils. Watershed councils are required to have interdisciplinary technical advisory committees.

2. Statewide Criteria for GovernorÕs Watershed Enhancement Board (GWEB) grants. A range of technical and biological criteria must be met by watershed councils in order to be considered for GWEB funding.

3. Standard Watershed Assessment Tool. A standard set of methods for assessing watersheds is currently being developed by GWEB for use by watershed councils.

These elements will greatly aid in ensuring the reliability of watershed analyses being undertaken.

PARTNERSHIPS: The Oregon Approach

It is essential to build all stakeholders into the recovery effort: Soil and Water Conservation Districts, the Oregon State University Cooperative Extension Service, watershed councils, local governments, landowners, industries, and citizens. Local stakeholders will be responsible for developing and implementing locally-based measures to restore salmon habitat, while the state agencies will help facilitate, guide and support local actions.

Salmon restoration and healthy streams are causes that people can rally around. State agencies recognize that success will happen on the ground as a result of hundreds of individual actions that are guided by a unified local-state-federal voice. Federal agencies will continue to implement programs on federal lands--such as the Northwest Forest Plan. There is no question that the Oregon Approach will require partnerships that will set a new standard for coordination and cooperation on natural resource management problems. These is also no question that a success in this effort will move us beyond species-by-species attempts at recovery, and begin to turn our watersheds to their fully functional condition. A non-regulatory environment is critical to maintaining the positive momentum.

Next Steps: A work in progress

The OCSRI Plan will be strengthened over the coming months by input from state legislators, the National Marine Fisheries Service, Federal partners, citizen stakeholders, and scientific reviewers. Also in the coming months, the four issue teams will work to improve their recommendations and provide for additional review and integration between teams. This adaptive management approach will be a key to the success of the OCSRI.

Reference

Muckleston, Keith 1990. Integrated Water Management in the United States. In Integrated Water Management; edited by Bruce Mitchell. New York, NY: Bellhaven Press.