Following the listing of various Evolutionarily Significant Unit (ESU’s) under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) in 1991, complicating harvest management and severely limiting execution of mixed-stock fisheries in the mainstem Columbia River, the Select Area Fisheries Evaluation (SAFE) Project was initiated by Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) in 1993. SAFE was funded to mitigate fisheries by providing the opportunity to harvest locally-produced salmon stocks in off-channel areas of the Columbia River. This concept was part of the 1993 Strategy for Salmon, wherein the Northwest Power Planning Council (NPPC, currently Northwest Power and Conservation Council, NPCC) recommended terminal-fishing sites be developed to allow harvest of known hatchery production while minimizing incidental harvest of weak stocks.  The longevity of the partnership between BPA, NPCC, the states of Oregon and Washington, and Clatsop County government in the SAFE program is a testament to the effectiveness of cost sharing and cooperation of multiple government agencies.  In 2007 SAFE became Select Area Fisheries Enhancement to reflect its progression from a research to production program, and this report summarizes activities and findings of the SAFE project during fall 2006 through fall 2008 (2008 information is preliminary), except for some earlier information provided for background and to identify trends.

The objectives of this project are mitigation, protection of endangered species, and economic development without negative impact on the environment.  All objectives are accomplished by producing salmon for harvest in the lower Columbia River commercial and sports fisheries locally, and regionally for commercial and sports fisheries in the Pacific Northwest coastal zones.  The fish produced under work elements (WE) 176 "Produce Hatchery Fish, select area bright fall Chinook, spring Chinook and lower Columbia River hatchery coho" provide fish for harvest when fishing is curtailed to protect endangered stocks of fish and in select areas where the incidence of endangered fish is minimal and closely monitored.  The fish produced from this program are able to be identified separate from the endangered stocks by marking accomplished in WE 158 "Mark/Tag Animals".  Negative impact on the environment is avoided by monitoring the smolts in the estuary and the accumulative results of rearing operations in the estuary through WE 165 "Produce Environmental Compliance Documentation - Project Reporting Requirements.  This is accomplished through the benthic invertebrate and sediment sampling with results analyzed and reported on to the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality.  Monitoring the economic development occurs under WE 157 "Collect/Generate/Validate Field and Lab Data" through collection of voluntary poundage assessment contributions from commercial fishermen and processors and review of  landing reports for calculating participation.  The total economic impact of the SAFE fisheries is shown in detail through graphs and charts as Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife's WEs 157, 159 and 162 covered in detail in their Statement of Work.

This project will continue the development of the SAFE sites to maximize harvest of returning adults and minimize catch of non-SAFE stocks at existing sites; coordinate activities with Washington and Oregon Departments of Fish and Wildlife, Clatsop County, Bonneville Power Administration, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; and compile project results and information.