The original proposal was inadequately justified in terms of benefits for fish, and the brief proposal was not clear, with little committal on what fish and wildlife management efforts sponsors would undertake and to what extent management would differ from that exercised historically. Pond construction was proposed off-channel for put-and-take fish harvest, but adequate detail was lacking.

Information provided in the elaborate response document was detailed and adequately compelling for reviewers to now support its acquisition and restoration activities, which are fundable. From a fish and wildlife standpoint, acquisition of the Stanbro Ranch would place a significant length of riparian corridor at the upper end of the catchment under federal and tribal management and should have excellent benefits for native fish and wildlife. If the lands were acquired, livestock would be excluded from the riparian zone. Water would be diverted through newly-screened diversion points for pasture irrigation until 1 July of each year, at which time diversion would cease and the full 243-acre water right would remain in the stream channel. Project M&E was not presented in detail, but the overall plan appeared adequately framed at this time.

Reviewers note that proposed development of the put-and-take fish ponds is a policy consideration that falls outside the realm of scientific review, except for the issue of possible risk that stocked fish might pose to native fishes and the issue of needing some minimal M&E to verify a substantial fraction of stocked fish will indeed be caught. Project sponsors indicate they will incorporate a number of steps to minimize risk, but planning needs to proceed further (and the species to be stocked needs to be chosen) before pond construction is reviewable by the ISRP. The tentative nature of the process description is problematic: "Project sponsor shall consult with local and private entities to determine the feasibility of constructing ponds for a put and take fishery." As such, the design and construction of ponds is not fundable at this time.