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Kootenai River restoration project earns
accolades |
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July 24, 2017 |
A review of 29 wildlife habitat projects funded
by the Bonneville Power Administration that is a
part of the Northwest Power and Conservation
Council’s overall review of all programs funded
under the power marketing agency’s Fish and
Wildlife program was completed by the
Independent Scientific Review Panel June 28.
One of the projects looked at was the Kootenai
Tribe's Kootenai River Restoration Project, with
the finding that the project meets scientific review
criteria.
That review is now out for public comment until
July 27. Of the 29 projects, six met scientific
review criteria, 21 met the criteria but with
some qualifications and two projects did not
meet scientific review criteria.
"The ISRP views this as a well-run program while
also seeing opportunities for improvement," they
wrote in their Kootenai River Operational Loss
Assessment. "This project is scientifically
justified. It is a well-organized and ambitious
mitigation project to offset losses from
hydropower development and operation. The losses
to be mitigated are based on extensive analysis
using creative approaches that show promise for
use elsewhere in the Basin ... The project is
making strong progress in terms of conceptual
advances and has excellent leadership.
"Although
funding is a policy issue beyond the ISRP’s
review mandate, the project proponents make a
compelling case for additional funding to
effectively and efficiently mitigate the credit
acres needed to meet their goals. This program
has great significance for the Columbia Basin
and beyond. The ISRP strongly urges the
proponents to publish their data, results, and
overall approaches in widely-read professional
journals."
The assessment concluded, "The bottom line is
that this program has a working scientific basis
for establishing trends in habitat conditions
and wildlife responses to restoration that will
help assure ecological viability in perpetuity."
Public comments on the ISRP’s Final 2017
Wildlife Project Review are due to the Council
by July 27. Email comments to
kcoles@nwcouncil.org or mail to Northwest
Power and Conservation Council, 851 SW Sixth
Ave., Suite 1100, Portland, OR 97204.
The full ISRP report, “Final 2017 Wildlife
Project Review, June 28, 2017,” is available
online at
https://www.nwcouncil.org/media/7491173/isrp-2017-07-finalwildlifeprojectreview28june.pdf.
The Kootenai River Operational Loss Assessment
begins on page 33. |
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