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Question 9: Currently many entities such as the states, the tribes, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

 Service, National Marine Fisheries Service, and the Power Planning Council all 

 have teams offish biologists partially funded by BPA. BPA also has their own 

 team of approximately 60 fish biologists. Is this approach to fiinding fish 

 biology efficient? 



Answer: BPA's Division of Fish and Wildlife has 60 staff, of which only 24 are 



biologists. The balance includes engineers, project managers, policy analysts, 

 computer, budget and contract specialists, administrative support, and 

 managers In addition, there are 30 contractor employees involved in 

 implementing the Fish and Wildlife Program working dirertly for BPA. 



BPA implements the Northwest Power Planning Council's Fish and Wildlife 

 Program primarily through contracts with other entities including State, 

 Federal, and Tribal fish and wildlife agencies. This implementation method is 

 due in lai^ part to the fi-amework called for in the Council's Fish and Wildlife 

 Program and the fact that BPA is not a fish and wildlife management agency. 

 The management responsibilities for fish and wildlife lie with other Federal and 

 State agencies and Tribes. BPA shares in the accountability for implementing 

 the Council's Program. BPA technical experts, including biologists, are 

 required to develop and administer the contracts and ensure the supplies and 

 services requested meet the technical requirements contained in the contract. 

 Federal regulations stipulate that technical experts must determine the 

 acceptability of all contracted supplies and services. 



BPA's fish and wildlife technical experts are also responsible to assist BPA in 

 making decisions that fiilfill the requirements under the Endangered Species 

 Act for listed Snake River salmon. These requirements include compliance 



