| Archives | Reports and Minutes |

Western Division of the American Fisheries Society
EXCOM Teleconference Minutes
Date: September 21, 2004

Participants: Lynn Starnes, Pres
Tom McMahon, Past-Pres
Don MacDonald, Past, past Pres
Joe Margraf, Vice-Pres
Bob Hughes, Pres-elect
Doug Olson, Oregon
Tom Pettengill, Bonneville
Tina Fossen, Cal/Neva
Anita Martinez, Wyoming
Keith Wolf, NPIC
Scott Bryan, AZ/NM
Mark Brouder, Newsletter
Mary Whalen, Web Site

Keith Wolf, NPIC. Keith brought up an issue that has been elevated to the NPIC and is an issue of concern to the Northwest. NOAA Fisheries recently issued a Draft Revised Biological Opinion which by all reports differs markedly from the 2000 Biological Opinion in approach and content. The issue is in litigation and this BO represents significant change. Several organizations have asked the WDAFS to evaluate the science within the BO. After discussion, Keith will be in contact with the organizations that have called him. He needs to determine from them what they want reviewed. Is it possible to get a consensus letter to WDAFS? Whether it is a comparison of the 2000 and 2004 BO or something else. What is the time line?

1) Need to nominate a committee to do the review,
2) Need a request from an entity for us to do the review
3) Need to identify and financial requirements by the reviewer

Normally such issues are referred to the Environmental Concerns Committee. They develop the Terms of Reference. They will then charge a committee to perform a specific function. Bull trout review cost $30-40,000. Pallid sturgeon cost $33,000. There may be some groups who want this analysis and would be willing to contribute funding.

We may need sub-committees that deal with separate issues and then an overall committee to pull together the entire review. (Steering Committee). In hte Pallid Sturgeon review, there were three co-chairs.

Western Native Fishes - Project is going ahead. The Committee is about to run out of funding (in hand) despite several grant applications being considered. NFWF ($50,000) and Fisheries Foundation ($10,000) are coming but not in yet. May need to borrow WDAFS funds for a time to keep the project operating. If so, will come to Midyear to do so. New officers requested background information on hte project.

Doug Olson, Oregon will be doing a “hatchery listing policy review.” That is due October 20. Oregon Chapter will do this review and post on the web site.

Tina Swanson, Cal/Neva, Chapter is doing a review of a “Change of Listing for Winter Run Salmon.” Will post on the web site.

Tom McMahon- Ken McDonald got out hte Pallid Sturgeon information. It will be on the web and there will be a media release.

Cutthroat documentary is making great progress. It is almost done!

Outreach Committee - Does WDAFS need a public outreach committee? Can we do adequate public outreach on a project-by-project basis (Chapters) or should we have a committee that makes it a mission to take chapter and committee ideas/submissions and write articles and brochures for dissemination? Tina (Cal/Neva) feels that local entities involved in the projects and issues have the best information and also the best media of educational contacts.

Doug Olsen brought to the group that there will be a Coastal Cutthroat Symposium September 29 to October 1, 2005