The Select Area Fisheries Enhancement Project is a well-established cooperative program that strives to deliver quality commercial and recreational salmon fishing opportunities in a setting which maximizes the return of hatchery production into fisheries.  Funding support of this project is shared by the Bonneville Power Administration, the states of Oregon and Washington, Mitchell Act funds, and fisher/processor voluntary contributions.

The objectives of this project are mitigation, protection of endangered species, minimizing negative impact of SAFE fisheries and production on the environment, and providing for the most efficient use of hatchery stocks.  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".  Avoiding negative impact of rearing activities on the environment is accomplished through the successful net-pen rearing strategies that facilitate rapid out-outmigration and reduce incidence of disease.  Accumulative results of the rearing activities are monitored by collecting benthic invertebrate and sediment samples at the rearing sites in the odd years through WE 157 "Collect/Generate/Validate Field and Lab Data, and reporting to the Department of Environmental Quality on the lab results in the even years through WE 162 "Analyze/Interpret Data".    Minimizing the incidence of hatchery fish on the spawning grounds by maximizing harvest of hatchery fish occurs through active in-season management of the commercial fisheries, fishing periods, gear restrictions and area boundaries, which have been refined over time to minimize impacts to listed species. Harvest rates are monitored under the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife's SAFE contract.

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.