Upper Skagit Indian Tribe’s FY 2023 ESA Recovery Planning

This project provides partial support for the Upper Skagit Indian Tribe’s (USIT) Natural Resources Department activities in the programmatic response to the Endangered Species Act (ESA) listing of all six independent Chinook stocks and four Steelhead stocks native to the Skagit Basin. The project is tied to local land and water management activities that directly impact listed species. These funds support the broad scale policy coordination of fishery and hatchery management issues surrounding ESA recovery actions for Chinook and recovery planning for Steelhead. In addition, funds support staff participation in FERC relicensing and license implementation for hydropower projects in the Skagit River Basin. The project will support USIT technical staff to assist USIT policy engagement on salmon recovery issues. The project provides partial support for portions of 2 FTE tribal biologists.

This funding allows tribal technical participation to support policy representation in the processes and actions funded by the two hydropower facilities in the Skagit Basin. Specific to the Skagit Chinook Recovery Plan, monitoring flow modifications from these facilities is essential to recovery efforts.