PCSRF Outreach and Education

Under this project CRITFC staff was able to promote the success of the tribal PCSRF projects and how they all contribute to the overall ecosystem health of the Columbai River Basin. CRITFc staff was able to develop and update informational documents that demonstrated tribal project successes under the PCSRF through photographs, brochures, maps, and web site maintenance (go to www.critfc.org under the Tribal Salmon Restoration category for the PCSRF project information and the PCSRF Brochure and PCSRF Map of Projects). Information was distributed regionally and nationally to further understanding of the tribes and their work in salmon recovery efforts. CRITFC staff was able to engage in events and display tribal PCSRF success stories to educate the public on the many benefits that these efforts accomplish.

Since FY 2000, the member tribes and CRITFC have successfully implemented 307 projects under the PCSRF within the Columbia River Basin. Of those projects, 259 projects (84%) are completed and 48 projects are ongoing (16%).The majority of these are on-the-ground projects that involve collaboration with federal, state and private landowners.

Go to the CRITFC website at www.critfc.org under the Fish and Watersheds category for the Restoration Projects map link (http://map.critfc.org/flexviewers/pcsrftribal/) for more information on each tribe’s and CRITFC’s specific project location maps, project descriptions and salmon restoration benefits.

Under this project CRITFC staff was able to organize a tribal Science Review Team consisting of two tribal staff members from each tribe who were specialists in habitat restoration and fishery biology/production, along with specialized CRITFC staff, that evaluated all of the PCSRF project proposals over the years from each of the four tribes/CRITFC (except their own proposals), based on Congressional guidance regarding the PCSRF, and the tribes’ goals and objectives listed in Wy-Kan-Ush-Mi Wa-Kish Wit.

CRITFC staff was able to conduct project site tours to each tribe once a year to evaluate tribal PCSRF projects for quality control purposes and information gathering on tribal projects, along with meetings with each individual tribe’s accounting staff to review fiscal accountability.

CRITFC staff set up informational booths at 15 different events promoting tribal PCSRF projects and other CRITFC information and gave ten presentations at various events. Some of them included three Future of Our Salmon Conferences, and a Future of Our Salmon technical workshop held in Spokane, WA, March 18-20th. Over 200 attendees participated at each conference from the region and Canada and post conference information can be found on our website: www.critfc.org/future.

All of these outreach efforts has brought increased awareness to CRITFC’s tribal restoration efforts to the region. It has helped increase partnerships with key stakeholders; identified needs and programs to establish with member tribes that will increase interest in and education on salmon-related issues.

Increased outreach efforts to bring awareness of CRITFC’s Tribal Workforce Development Initiative. Established partnerships with key stakeholders; identified needs and programs to establish with member tribes that will increase interest in and education on Salmon-related issues.