239 



DRAFT 



General rnages 84-85) 



This section is an odd mixture of beaver lore and anecdotes concerning settlement and 

 channelization. The fact that mining has contributed to current fish habitat problems is 

 acknowledged in a single sentence, lumping it with agriculture and mining. 



The authors cite research by Mcintosh, Sedell and Clarke (1992) documenting 

 historical stream degradation and the loss of pool habitat on the Grande Ronde River. 

 These changes were appropriately attributed to the cumulative effects of land use 

 practices over a fifty year time interval. However, the authors appear to imply that 

 agriculture and mining are the primary causes, and that forestry impacts were restricted 

 to activities prior to 1941: 



'The biggest stream habitat problem today is in the agricultural lands 

 below the forest... ' 



"Land use practices responsible for the degradation... are historical and 

 include agriculture and historical mining and forestry (pre-1941). " 



These statements, and the fact that the discussion is only present in the "agriculture" 

 section, seem to imply that other land uses in the basin are a minor component of the 

 habitat problems. The observation that the loss of the most productive habitat occurred 

 where farms and ranches are located today (in the mid-section reaches) implies that 

 agriculture may be responsible, and neglects that sediment impacts are transported 

 downstream from upper portions of watersheds. Also, the statement limiting forestry 

 impacts to "pre-1941" is inconsistent with the study results which measured habitat 

 changes occurring after 1941 (1941-1990). The authors also repeat these statements in 

 the summary section (page 163). 



Similar research assessing the cumulative changes to stream habitat over time has been 

 conducted by Jim Sedell (US Forest Service, PNW Research Station). Hicks et al. 

 (1991) cite the results of a study (Sedell, unpublished) which showed a 70 percent loss 

 of pool habitat over 50 years following large-scale timber harvest and salvage of 

 downed timber in the Breitenbush River, Oregon. This information was not presented 

 even though Hicks et al. (1991) was cited several times in this report. 



Summary (pages 85-86) 



The authors conclude that agricultural practices are the "...dominant land use 

 practices... of concern for wild salmonidfsj. ' There is no mention in any section of 

 problems associated with diked pastures or transportation systems that support farms 

 and ranches. 



A-33 



