The Northwest Power Act directs the Northwest Power and Conservation Council (NPCC) and Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) to consult with the region’s appropriate Indian Tribes in the development and implementation of the Fish and Wildlife Program.  The Power Act also calls for fish and wildlife management coordination to assist protection, mitigation, and enhancement of fish and wildlife resources in the Columbia River Basin.  The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR) is a federally recognized Indian tribe whose area of influence is in NE Oregon and SE Washington as well as mainstem Columbia and Snake River corridors.  Many culturally important landscapes and species to the Umatilla People within its areas of influence are affected by the operations of the Federal Columbia River Power System (FCRPS).  The development of the FCRPS has adversely affected wildlife, resident fish, and anadromous fish resources along the entirety of the ancestral Umatilla landscape including, but not limited to:  The Columbia, Snake, Umatilla, Walla Walla, Tucannon, Grande Ronde, John Day rivers or subbasins.  

This proposal will assist and provide an opportunity for the CTUIR to increase their participation in the development and implementation of the BPA Fish and Wildlife Program, including the Columbia Basin Accords.  Specifically, this project will provide funding for CTUIR staff time to better engage in local and regional processes that aid in the development and implementation of the BPA Fish and Wildlife Program.  The CTUIR increased participation in project development and coordination will result in a better understanding of the Tribe’s resource needs, ideologies and perspectives and will assist in the shaping the future management of the critical resources in the Columbia River Basin.