Background and Needs

Comprehensive research, monitoring, and evaluation (RME) were called for in the National Marine Fisheries Service’s 2004 Remanded Biological Opinion (BiOp) on Operation of the Federal Columbia River Power System and are included in the Implementation Plan for the Updated Proposed Action (USACE et al. 2005 ).  In the federal BiOp collaboration process currently underway, the estuary is an important component.  The federal RME process includes a Technical/Policy Oversight Group and six subgroups: Status Monitoring, Effectiveness Research, Hydro, Hatchery, Data Management, and Estuary/Ocean (EOS).  In September 2002, BPA contracted with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) to facilitate the EOS during FY03.  This work continued in FY04, FY05, and FY06 is planned for FY07.  A major milestone for the EOS was completion of a Estuary RME Program document  in May 2006.  The purpose of this scope of work is to continue estuary/ocean subgroup RME activities in FY07 as the estuary RME plan is implemented and coordinated.

The federal RME efforts are currently being coordinated through the Pacific Northwest Aquatic Monitoring Partnership (PNAMP), an assemblage of federal, state, and tribal agencies whose goal is “…to coordinate important scientific information at the appropriate scales needed to inform public policy and resource management decisions.”   PNAMP’s geographic scope includes the Columbia basin and its Columbia River estuary.  In FY05, the PNAMP formed an estuary workgroup.  Members of the EOS played a significant role in this expanding effort, which will continue into FY07.

The role of the EOS is evolving as the RME effort in the estuary and the entire Columbia basin matures.  In FY07, there will be even wider coordination as the estuary RME plan the subgroup developed in May 2006 is coordinated.

Goal

The goal of this project is to facilitate activities of the estuary/ocean RME subgroup (EOS) as it coordinates implementation of the estuary RME plan in FY07 with the PNAMP estuary workgroup, the Columbia Basin Fish and Wildlife Authority’s Collaborative Systemwide Monitoring and Evaluation Program (CSMEP), the Northwest Power and Conservation Council’s (NPCC) Fish and Wildlife Program, and the federal RME team.

Project Period and Schedule

The project period will be October 1, 2006 to September 30, 2007.  The schedule for the tasks is presented in the following table, along with an estimated budget for each task (more detailed budget data is presented later in the scope of work).