FY 2015 Upper Skagit Indian Tribe’s ESA Recovery Planning

Program support for this work plan has aided the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe in implementing Chinook and Steelhead Recovery efforts across broad scale policy and technical programs, projects and issues. Some highlights for this program include the review, and approval of two state Salmon Recovery Funding Board fund cycles in 2016 and 2017. Staff participates on both the technical and policy implementation and oversight committees at the Lead Entity for the Skagit is the Skagit Watershed Council. Other significant work plan development included the coordination of all H’s for the submittal of the 8 updated Skagit HGMP’s to NOAA for review, and the completion of the Goodell Alluvial Fan Feasibility Study. Staff continues to shape the implementation of the Protection, Mitigation, and Enhancement measures for the two FERC approved hydropower facilities in the Skagit. Staff has also been consulting with local, state and federal partners on other land management issues that are impacting Salmon Recovery

Tribal technical and policy engagement focuses on all the H’s (Habitat, Hydropower, Harvest, and Hatchery) in the Skagit River Basin as it relates to the listing of all 6 unique Skagit Chinook stocks and 4 unique Steelhead stocks under the Endanger Species Act. One of the primary functions of the Skagit Marblemount Hatchery is the production of two Chinook indicator stocks used to monitor Exploitation Rates as required by NOAA. Policy oversight is needed for all fisheries to ensure harvest actions do not limit the productivity of listed stocks by actively managing by-catch of ESA stocks. The Skagit has 2 major hydropower facilities (FERC # 2150 & # 553), which require monitoring stream flows for the protection of Chinook and Steelhead egg to fry survival, overseeing and participating in habitat protection, mitigation, and enhancement measures specific to each FERC project is achieved by this support. Specific to the Skagit Chinook Recovery Plan, monitoring flow modifications from these facilities is essential to recovery efforts. Staff and policy interact and comment on local, state and federal land use permits and planning forums (Lead Entity) to ensure protection and restoration of critical habitat to increase habitat productivity for Chinook and Steelhead. The Tribe’s effort is based on technical involvement with local Lead Entity and federal permit review and consultation issues focusing on waters in WRIA 3 and 4. Chapter 6 in the Skagit Recovery Plan, “Factors limiting Chinook production” outlines the general mechanisms of decreased productivity (harvest, hatcheries, hydropower, and habitat), while chapter 7, 8, and 9 outline specific strategies to improve productivity with harvest management actions, protecting existing habitat, and habitat restoration strategies. The strategies undertaken by staff align with recovery actions identified in the Skagit Chinook Recovery chapters 7-9.
In addition to Chinook Recovery implementation, Tribal staff will engage with current and near term Steelhead Recovery Planning efforts for the Skagit. The Skagit is the largest basin in Puget Sound, has complex land and water use issues from the delta to the mountain peaks with multiple land management jurisdictions in the basin, two major hydropower facilities, 7 hatchery stocks, one accepted recovery plan for the six independent Chinook stocks, and a goal to develop a Skagit Steelhead recovery plan, the financial support requested by the Tribe for tribal infrastructure is well justified for the protection of ESA stock productivity.