1.   Background

The Grande Ronde River Basin has three Federally listed Endangered Species Act (ESA) fish species.  The Snake River spring chinook was listed in 1992.  Summer steelhead and bull trout were listed in 1998.  

Widespread landowner, agency and tribal support for watershed improvement programs is indicative of the cooperative effort directed to habitat restoration in the Grande Ronde River Basin.  Restoration projects are located throughout the basin.  The magnitude of the effort requires technical engineering assistance on Federal, state, tribal, and private lands.  ESA listed species are found throughout the basin.  Watershed and fish habitat improvement projects have been completed throughout the basin and are directed toward improving overall watershed health.  
Watershed restoration activities in the Grande Ronde River Basin have increased significantly in the 1990's up to the present.  The Oregon Watershed Health Program directed substantial funding to the basin in 1994 and 1995.  Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) has been a major funding source for the ESA restoration activities.  Other participants that have continued to provide funding and technical assistance in a broader scope of restoration activities are the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB), Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), and Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation).  The Union and Wallowa Soil and Water Conservation Districts have provided administration support for the restoration activities.  In 1992 in response to the eminent listing of spring chinook Salmon, the Grande Ronde Model Watershed Program (GRMWP) was established by Union and Wallowa County Commissions.  The purpose of the GRMWP was to establish a grass-roots locally-based effort to coordinate state and Federal agencies, local organizations, and private entities in an effort to restore fish habitat in the Grande Ronde River Basin.  This partnership has been very effective.  Reclamation has provided technical support in the Grande Ronde River Basin restoration efforts for many years.  This assistance has been invaluable to habitat restoration.  

Reclamation has provided a local Grande Ronde River Basin Watershed Engineer beginning in Federal fiscal year 2000 and continuing through fiscal year 2005.  Reclamation provided these engineering services through Cooperative Agreement Number 1425-00-FC-10-06070 between Reclamation and the Union Soil & Water Conservation District, Wallowa Soil & Water Conservation District, Natural Resources Conservation Services and Grande Ronde Model Watershed Program.  Reclamation provided this engineer at the request of the Grande Ronde Model Watershed Program to work on watershed restoration projects.  This has been a very successful cooperative undertaking.

Beginning in Federal fiscal year 2003 Reclamation funding for ESA restoration projects was directed toward National Marine Fisheries Service subbasins assigned to Reclamation under the "Biological Opinion on the Operation of the Federal Columbia River Power System" issued by the National Marine Fisheries Service in December 2000.  The Grande Ronde River Basin was not assigned to Reclamation.  

The local entities want Reclamation to continue the local engineer position in the Grande Ronde River Basin to provide technical assistance.  

The Grande Ronde Model Watershed has requested funding from BPA through the Pacific Northwest Power Planning Council for engineering work to continue the successful ESA restoration activities.  The funds will be provided directly from BPA to Reclamation through this Interagency Agreement.

2.   Objective

The objective of the agreement is to continue the successful Grande Ronde River Basin ESA restoration program through the existing Reclamation local entity cooperative work effort by funding the Reclamation engineering related work for Federal fiscal year 2005.

Reclamation will continue to fund its Grande Ronde River Basin planning-related activities through its regular program for Federal fiscal year 2005.