Clearwater Focus Program Background

The Clearwater River subbasin was designated a Focus Program in late 1996 under the Northwest Power and Conservation Council's 1994 Columbia Basin Fish and Wildlife Program (FWP), Section 7.7A.4.  The Idaho Soil Conservation Commission (ISCC) and the Nez Perce Tribal Fisheries Department Watershed Division (NPT) sponsor the program, each retaining a co-coordinator to jointly administer the program.  The purpose of the Focus Program is to coordinate protection, enhancement, and restoration of fish and wildlife habitat in the Clearwater River subbasin at watershed scales.  The Focus Program will continue under the Council's amended 2000 FWP and through the adoption of the Clearwater Subbasin Management Plan.  

The Focus Program convened the Clearwater Policy Advisory Committee (PAC) in 1999 to provide regional direction for the development of a subbasin plan and to coordinate restoration efforts in the Clearwater. The PAC is composed of the regional-level management representatives from agencies having natural resource authorities and responsibilities.  County, Nez Perce Tribal, and conservation districts PAC members represent local governments and a representative of  the largest private timber owner in the subbasin is also a member of the PAC.

Clearwater Policy Advisory Committee Membership:

Idaho Department of Environmental Quality Idaho Department of Fish & Game
Potlatch Corporation Idaho Department of Lands
Idaho Association of SWCDs Idaho County
Nez Perce Tribe Executive Committee Clearwater National Forest
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Nez Perce National Forest
NOAA Fisheries

In addition to policy and management coordination, the ISCC Clearwater Focus Program co-coordinator develops project opportunities on private lands in the subbasin by working closely with the five soil and water conservation districts and the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) field offices associated with each district as well as local governments.  

Goals for this Contract

This contract continues the Idaho Soil Conservation Commission (ISCC) component of the Clearwater Focus Program to coordinate implementation of the Council's FWP in the Clearwater subbasin.  There are many agencies and private landowners in the subbasin that have different mandates, policies, legal obligations, and points of view relative to their resource responsibilities.  The Focus Program provides a venue for coordinating optimal use of available funds and effort to achieve subbasin-wide goals for fish and wildlife habitat protection, enhancement, and restoration. The goals for this contract follow.

• Facilitate Clearwater Policy Advisory Committee (PAC) and interested participants work to implement the Clearwater Subbasin Management Plan
• Be the liaison for the Focus Program with the Council, BPA, ISCC, Idaho Office of Species Conservation, Columbia Basin Fish and Wildlife Authority.
• Perform Focus Program functions, as described in the Clearwater Subbasin Managment Plan.
• Coordinate subbasin project planning for the next project/funding review process.
• Assist sponsors of projects to plan, develop, and implement Clearwater Subbasin Management Plan project work.

The Focus Program endeavors to coordinate actions that overlap the Council's program which is mandated by the Pacific Northwest Power Planning and Conservation Act, the ESA, and the CWA wherever and whenever possible.  These coordination opportunities identify multiple funding sources for projects.  Managers responsible for the ESA and CWA are on the Clearwater PAC.

Appropriate RPAs

The Focus Program implements two actions identified in the 2000 Federal Columbia River Power System (FCRPS) Biological Opinion.  Action 152: TMDL coordination, meetings, work groups, and data sharing; participating in the Council's, provincial reviews, leveraging funding resources.  Action 154:  Develop subbasin assessments and plans, match state and local funding for coordinated development of subbasin plans, coordinate plans across ownerships.