The conservation management unit is the population by
watershed. Individual populations are
adapted to the habitat conditions in their watersheds and are best suited to
succeed in those environments.
Populations managed at the individual, watershed level will insure the
vigor of larger aggregates by retaining all of their member’s life history
attributes and genetic diversity.
Individual populations are the repositories for a species’ biodiversity
and, in particular, rare alleles that may be essential for the species’
persistence. The loss of any single
population will constitute serious depletion of that species.
The success of individual
populations will best insure that the genetic resources necessary for the
species persistence are protected. This
approach maximizes the opportunity for the preservation of the biodiversity
expressed by each species.
Inventory the biological
diversity inherent in each population, population aggregate, and species. Determine the abundance, distribution, life
history attributes, and genetic diversity of each population. In each watershed, inventory the biotic and
abiotic components affecting population abundance, distribution and life
history attributes. Inventories should
address the availability of habitat as it relates to the expression of present
and historically present variability in life history characteristics, abundance
and distribution. The health of a
population in a watershed is dependent on the health of that watershed. Watershed processes and functions which
emulate historic conditions are essential for the maintenance of, or the return
to the diverse habitats that are integral for the expression of a population’s
varied life history characteristics.
Inventories of past and present available habitat, watershed function
and processes, and population specific information will allow managers to adopt
biological objectives that are necessary and reasonable for the persistence of
each population.
Establish measurable
criteria for the biological diversity and habitat requirements that have been
determined for each conservation management unit. Criteria will be established to span the population’s life cycle,
including target distribution, abundance, and expression of multiple life
history strategies, and to maintain, or allow the expression of the biological
diversity that is present, or was historically present in each population. These criteria will be the standard to
assess the health of a population.
Specifically defined biological objectives paired with habitat requirements
will allow management plans to be designed that maintain and/or recover a
population’s biological diversity, distribution and abundance at a
self-sustaining level.
Develop a management plan to
maintain the biological diversity of the population. The management plan, based upon protecting and restoring
naturally spawning wild fish in their native habitat, is designed to meet the
biological objectives defined for each conservation management unit. This plan will direct the activities
necessary to recover and/or maintain the population structure, biological
diversity, distribution and abundance of each population at the level necessary
for self-sustainability. Assess how
management and societal actions have and are influencing the distribution and
abundance, and the expression of multiple life history strategies of the
population. Within each watershed of
the conservation management unit, identify critical habitat for each species
and life history stage. These areas are
refugia. Refugia should be designated
to the degree necessary to achieve adopted biological objectives.
Management flexibility
within and among watersheds will be dependent on meeting the specific
biological objectives set forth for each population. Management plans will identify additional options that may be
necessary to ensure population health.
These will be initiated if the monitoring and evaluation program detects
deficiencies in the current plan.
Develop and fund a
monitoring and evaluation program to validate and/or critique the management
program and the achievement of objectives.
Monitoring of a population is essential to continually assess its health
and to evaluate the efficacy of the management plans in complying with the
adopted biological objectives. Agencies
will provide data to OWEB and to the public at a single source. Failure to comply with adopted biological
objectives will initiate a feedback mechanism to incorporate additional
regulations set forth in management plans.
Develop and fund an applied
and basic research program to support the management program and to increase
knowledge of wild, native fish. Long
term time series research is preferred.
The purpose of this research is to validate management assumptions and
establish a long-term database on life history and the biodiversity of
populations and species. A research
program plan will be presented to the public and the Oregon Fish and Wildlife
Commission. Research driven
modifications to biological objectives or management plans will be submitted to
the Independent Multidisciplinary Science Team for review.
Impanel an independent
scientific body to evaluate biological objectives, management plans, research,
and their efficacy. The panel will be
composed of non-agency and non-governmental scientists and will use the
existing structure of the IMST. The
panel will assess biological objectives and if their outcomes were achieved,
identify research needs and identify critical uncertainties. The panel will meet annually and make their
findings available to the public.
Fund monitoring, evaluation and research at the
beginning of the process. As necessary
elements of the policy, they must be included.