The CTUIR Ceded Area Priority Stream Corridor Conservation and Protection Project is an effort led by the CTUIR in partnership with other conservation partners to secure permanent protection for core anadromous fish habitat areas in the ceded territory of the CTUIR. This includes the river corridors and watersheds of the Grande Ronde, Umatilla, Walla Walla and John Day Rivers. Protection and long term conservation of core fish and wildlife habitats is crucial piece of a comprehensive strategy to maintain productive naturally producing native fish and wildlife populations.  The project focuses on prioritizing lands for fee title acquisition or purchase of permanent conservation easements that would assure future development and management would maintain or enhance fish and wildlife habitat capability. Conservation lands would establish opportunities for habitat restoration efforts with persistent benefits.

The project focuses on prioritizing lands for fee title acquisition or purchase of permanent conservation easements that would assure future development and management would maintain or enhance fish and wildlife habitat capability. Conservation lands would establish opportunities for habitat restoration efforts with persistent benefits.

The project relies heavily on individual subbasin plan’s Ecosystem Diagnosis and Treatment (EDT) modeling to direct specific conservation actions to optimize benefits to anadromous fish. Conservation opportunities are evaluated and prioritized using criteria including:
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1. Direct benefits to ESA listed species.
2. Multiple species and life stage benefits.
3. Opportunities to extend the downstream limit of anadromous fish production within the watershed due to cumulative upstream benefits.
4. High degree of defensibility relative to size and configuration of acquisition tract and adjacent threats
5. Adjacency to existing protected areas and/or direct enhancement of connectivity between conservation areas
6. Enhancement of administrative or logistics associated with management of existing adjacent conservation areas.
7. Does the project protect  high value or establish good restoration ?

The acquisition process will follow that established in the CTUIR’s Land Acquisition Program to coordinate the acquisition of property and ensure due diligence and consistency with CTUIR land and resource management goals. the CTUIR has developed project selection criteria to guide identification and prioritization of protection areas. These include the following:

• Consistency with subbasin plan priorities and Comprehensive State Wildlife Conservation Strategies.
• Multiple species and life stage benefits.
• Direct benefits to ESA listed species.
• Opportunities to extend the downstream limit of anadromous fish production within the watershed due to cumulative upstream benefits.
• High degree of defensibility relative to size and configuration of acquisition tract and adjacent threats
• Adjacency to existing protected areas and/or direct enhancement of connectivity between conservation areas
• Enhancement of administrative or logistics associated with management of existing adjacent conservation areas.

CTUIR land and easement acquisition planning in the Grande Ronde Basin has been underway since 2012 under the CTUIR's Grande Ronde Fish Habitat Project (199608300).  Staff have developed a land and easement acquisition portfolio which includes prospective projects in the Upper Grande Ronde, Catherine Creek, and Lookingglass watersheds. Several prospective projects have been developed and are being implemented.  This contract provides for  pre-acquisition efforts, including obtaining appraisal, property surveys, due diligence activities for acquiring lands.  ALL ADMINISTRATIVE FUNCTIONS ASSOCIATED WITH MANAGING THIS CONTRACT ARE COVERED UNDER THE CTUIR'S GRANDE RONDE HABITAT PROJECT 1996-083-00, HENCE, SEVERAL WE BUDGETS ARE ZERO.