Introduction
Populations of steelhead trout, coho and chinook salmon
in California have declined to extremely low levels. Factors
for this precipitous decline include overfishing, habitat
loss, changes in land use/land cover, hatchery practices,
water withdrawals and diversions, and natural factors such
as adverse ocean conditions. As a result of these declines,
the NOAA Fisheries
has listed four species of salmonids as threatened in North-Central
California. Central California Coast coho (Oncorhynchus
kisutch), California Coastal chinook (O. tshawytscha),
and Central California Coast and Northern California steelhead
(O. mykiss) have been listed, and critical habitat
has been designated for Central California Coast coho, Central
California Coast steelhead, and California Coastal chinook.
The listing of these salmonids represents a major
signal of human impact on the ecosystems of this part of
California. Unless systematic recovery actions begin in
the near future, the long-term status of these fish is highly
questionable. Permanent loss of these fish would constitute
a significant change in the landscape of California with
ecological, cultural and economic consequences of major
proportions.
To address the need for salmonid recovery, NOAA Fisheries has recently
begun its recovery planning process as required by the ESA.
The recovery plan will address the factors for decline,
factors impeding recovery, early recovery and restoration
options, and quantify the population criteria needed to
ensure long-term recovery.
GIS
can be a powerful tool in recovery planning, allowing NOAA
Fisheries and other resource agencies to compile and analyze
information at multiple temporal and spatial scales.
To
this end, NOAA Fisheries and co-managers, notably the state
of California, are developing digital information resource
development projects (such as the Russian River Watershed
GIS) in the northern portion of the recovery planning region.
Geographic Extent
Regions that are affected by the ESA salmonid listings
include California, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. Throughout
this region, federal, state, local, tribal and private entities
have begun efforts to restore and protect salmonid habitat.
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Areas
with listed salmon and designated as critical habitat |
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Recovery
Plans
Recovery Planning Guidelines have been set and require the
following:
| a) |
an evaluation
of the current status of the listed population |
| b) |
an assessment
of the factors affecting the species |
| c) |
identification
of delisting (recovery) goals |
| d) |
identification
of the entire suite of actions necessary to achieve
these goals |
| e) |
an estimate
of the cost and time required to carry out those actions
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| f) |
in addition,
the recovery plans must undergo public review and comment.
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The NOAA Fisheries approach to recovery planning is a
two-phase process, comprised of the Technical Phase (Phase
I) and the Planning Phase (Phase II). The process includes
the identification of geographic planning areas / “domains”,
requires that NOAA Fisheries address listed salmonid species
in each domain, and the appointment of a Technical Recovery
Team (TRT) for each planning area to develop biological de-listing
criteria. Where possible, existing local processes will be
used to refine goals and identify and implement recovery measures.
During the Technical Phase (Phase I) of the recovery planning
process, the TRT provides biological criteria and technical
guidance for ESA recovery plans. Phase II involves planning
initiatives such as policy forums, refining goals and developing
administrative de-listing criteria. During this planning phase,
coordination and linkages between ongoing efforts will be
made, actions will be prioritized, and recovery actions will
be evaluated for adjustment based on monitoring efforts. Communication
with the public regarding the recovery planning process is
a strong component of the Phase II work.
GIS & Recovery
| During
Phase I, NOAA Fisheries will use GIS tools including the RRGIS
to: |
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Describe limiting factors that prevent remaining populations
from recovering to sustainable levels |
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Archive
and synthesize data and information for use in developing
recovery implementation strategies based on biological
de-listing criteria |
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Identify
gaps in data and help prioritize data collection efforts
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Analyze
data for application in identifying and prioritizing early
recovery opportunities |
| During
Phase II, NOAA Fisheries will use GIS tools including the RRGIS
to: |
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Catalog existing programs and activities that can be components
of the recovery plan, and track the effectiveness of those
programs |
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Coordinate
other ESA measures (section 4 protections, section 7 consultations,
section 10 permits) to present a more coherent picture
for how these activities contribute toward recovery. |
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Conduct
monitoring, evaluation and adaptive management |
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Serve
as a mechanism to provide information to co-managers,
interested parties and the public on the status of the
recovery planning, and as a way to incorporate data provided
by the interested public to NOAA Fisheries. |
*The information provided above is largely available from
"Recovery Planning Guidance for Technical Recovery Teams"
(NOAA Fisheries, 2000) and other NOAA Fisheries documents. For this document and
additional NOAA Fisheries recovery planning information and materials,
please visit the NOAA Fisheries
Northwest Salmon Recovery Planning website.
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