Kootenai River restoration project earns accolades

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.