Oregon Coastal Salmon Restoration Initiative |
The actions of government alone are not sufficient to conserve and restore salmon across the landscape. Oregon's Conservation Plan recognizes that conservation and restoration of coho and other species must be accomplished by local communities and landowners, with local knowledge of problems and ownership in solutions. Watershed councils, soil and water conservation districts, the OSU Cooperative Extension Service, and other grassroots efforts are vehicles for getting the work done. State and federal agencies and programs will provide the regulatory foundation and technical support to the watershed councils, but the bulk of the work needed to conserve and restore watersheds will be accomplished by local people.
State and federal agencies are responsible for many management programs and the administration of statutes and rules that fundamentally affect natural resources, including the following:
Previously, agencies often conducted business independently. Salmon suffered because their life cycles cross the physical and jurisdictional boundaries of all of these agencies. They suffered because they were affected by the actions of all agencies, but no single agency was responsible for comprehensive, life-cycle management. Under Oregon's Plan, all state and federal agencies that have an impact on salmon are held accountable for conducting business in a coordinated manner that is consistent with the conceptual foundation and the goals and strategies of the OCSRI.
To date, the essential mechanism in Oregon's Conservation Plan has been the Governor's leadership. It has brought management agencies and affected stakeholders together to develop solutions to long-standing problems. The OCSRI Plan recognizes that leadership of this nature is essential to achieving the goals of the Conservation Plan. While the institutional arrangements that allowed salmon to decline will not be resolved quickly, effective leadership has the best opportunity to resolve the inherent conflicts that exist. Maintaining momentum in Oregon's Coastal Salmon Restoration Initiative hinges on continued leadership of state agencies and coordination with federal agencies. This essential leadership will be maintained through the Governor's role with the Salmon Strategy Team and a legislative oversight committee.
The Conservation Plan will be implemented through an infrastructure that includes both focused and diffuse elements. Focused elements include the following:
Legislative Oversight Committee
The Legislative Oversight Committee will provide coordinated political support and
recommend changes in statutes where needed. This committee will also ensure that
budget and staffing proposals receive appropriate review and support.
Continuation of the Governor's leadership through the SST
The governor shall convene the SST at regular intervals that may vary from weekly to
monthly, depending on the urgency of matters to consider.
Continuation of the SST with membership as described below:
Conservation Plan Implementation Team
State and federal agencies, local governments, soil and water conservation districts, OSU
Extension Service, watershed councils, and other participants will designate
representatives to the Conservation Plan Implementation Team. This team will meet
monthly or bi-weekly as appropriate to facilitate implementation of the Plan and to
coordinate efforts within and among agencies.
The team may be enlarged to include conservation organizations and industry representatives for participation in implementing the Plan. Outreach and science teams will also provide for coordination of effort among participants in the OCSRI.
Implementation Team Leader
This position will be established to provide routine leadership for the Implementation
Team. The team leader will be a liaison to the Independent Scientific Assessment Team
and the Monitoring Program Coordinator.
Operational Coordination
State agencies have organized at the field level to coordinate implementation of the Plan
and ensure accountability. Directors of activities at the regional administrative level have
been instructed to meet on a regular basis with state and federal management partners.
These meetings are designed to coordinate implementation of agency measures, ensure
proper support is provided to grassroots efforts, and ensure that monitoring is conducted
in an efficient manner.
Much of the work essential to conservation and restoration of Oregon's salmon populations will be accomplished through the efforts of local watershed councils, soil and water conservation districts, private and industrial landowners, and similar grassroots efforts. Technical support, scientific expertise, and access to relevant data will be provided by state and federal agencies and the OSU Cooperative Extension Service.
Recovery of salmonids will require coordination among all interests at unprecedented levels. Salmonids are distributed over a wide range of habitats that interact with an equally broad array of local, state, federal, and international institutions.
As a direct result of the OCSRI, coordination of efforts is currently occurring at unprecedented levels in Oregon. This coordination includes the participation of government, industry, conservation organizations, Oregon State University, local organizations, and citizens. A commitment by these parties to communicate and coordinate has been sustained throughout the process of development of the Conservation Plan.
Many day-to-day working relationships have been created through this process, and many more have been strengthened. Like ecosystems, socio-political systems are complex, and there will always be room for improved coordination. For example, streamlining technical and financial assistance is needed to improve efficiency in the delivery of grassroots and government restoration actions. Ideally, state and federal grants that support grassroots efforts will be delivered through a streamlined application and review process. Maintaining and creating critical coordination processes and infrastructures will remain a priority of the Plan. Examples of a diffuse coordination infrastructure include the following:
Grassroots Coordination
Grassroots organizations will play key roles in developing and implementing watershed
protection and restoration. These organizations include soil and water conservation
districts, watershed councils, and efforts such as the North Coast Initiative. Key links
among grassroots efforts and state agencies will be facilitated through avenues such as the
Governor's Watershed Enhancement Board and the OSU Extension Service.
League of Oregon Cities, Association of Oregon Counties, Oregon Public Ports Association, Oregon Coastal Zone Management Association, and councils of government are local government bodies that coordinate among agencies and grassroots efforts.
Coordination with fishery management
Pacific Fisheries Management Council provides regional coordination of fisheries
management that is linked with ODFW and fish management agencies of other states.
Other organizations that provide for coordination of fishery management include the
following:
Coordination with habitat initiatives
Coordination to achieve habitat objectives requires that technical information and financial
assistance or other incentives, along with landowners and volunteers, be brought together.
Much of this coordination will take place through watershed councils.
Technical information coordination
Financial assistance
Landowners and volunteers
Coordination among landowners and volunteers has been hampered by concern over
property damage and tort liability. Legislation has been introduced to limit the liability of
landowners who engage in fish or wildlife habitat restoration or enhancement (SB108).
Among key landowners and volunteers are the following:
Coordination with economic initiatives
Hire-the-Fisher and Jobs-in-the-Woods are two key federal programs designed to assist
displaced fishers and forest industry workers in finding employment doing habitat
restoration. These programs provide training and family wages jobs.
Incorporation of salmon recovery and clean streams will be encouraged to be considered key elements of the Regional Strategies Program, administered in partnership with OEDD and local government.
NMFS will annually evaluate Oregon's progress toward goals to determine whether coho or other species should be listed or de-listed under the federal ESA. NMFS will review recommendations of the Independent Scientific Assessment Team and the coordinated monitoring program annual report to assess whether management measures proposed under Oregon's Coastal Salmon Restoration Initiative Plan are accomplished as promised. Evidence that state partners are deficient in taking action, or that the status of salmon stocks or supporting habitats have not improved, will be considered a basis for NMFS to establish a listing.
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Created April 4, 1997
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