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PACFISH STRATEGY 

 Executive Summary 



Revised May 1 . 1 993 



Introduction 



The ourocse of this executive summary is to provide an overview or the cacKgrouna. 

 ssues ana current status of the Pacific saimon ana steeiheaa management strategy of 

 :ne USDA Forest Service (Forest Service) ana USDI Bureau of Lana Management 

 ;BLM). UDaates to this briefing will be Droviaea penoaically. 



Over tr.e Qast several years, significant new researcn information aoout the status of 

 Pacific saimon ana steeiheaa stocKs. current naDitat conaitions. ana haoitat reauirements 

 -as oeccme available. This new information makes it necessary for the Forest Service 

 ana BLM to take immeaiate ana long-term actions to assure DroDer management of 

 anaaromous fish habitat in Alaska. California. Idaho. Oregon ana Washington. Changes 

 m management guidance will affect aoout 75% of the Ranger Districts on 34 National 

 Forests in five Forest Service Regions ana 29 Area Offices on 16 Districts in four BLM 

 State Offices. 



Background 



Pacific anaaromous salmomas (mcluaing salmon, steeiheaa ana sea-run cutthroat 

 trout, ana dolly varaen) occur naturally from southern California northwara to the Arctic 

 Ocean. These fish are comDnsea of a large number of stocks, or populations that 

 originate from specific watersneas aunng specific times of year as |uveniles. migrate to 

 the ocean, and generally return to reproauce in their natal streams at the same time of 

 year they were spawnea. In many areas of the West Coast, naturally reproaucmg stocks 

 of Pacific salmon, steeiheaa ana sea-run cutthroat trout are at risk of extinction. Of the 

 more than 400 stocks from California, laaho, Oregon, ana Washington recently evaluatea 

 by the American Fisheries Society (AFS), 214 were considered to be at "moberate" or 

 high' risk of extinction or of "special concern," 106 were extinct, ana about 120 were 

 consiberea secure. 



About 1 34 "at risk" stocks identified by the AFS report are found on National Forests 

 ana 1 09 are found on Public Lands administered by the BLM. Recent information 

 suggests that coho and chum salmon, and steelhead stocks in Alaska probably are 

 beclining also. To more accurately characterize the situation in Alaska. Forest Service 

 researcners began an investigation in 1 992 that is due to be completed in late spring 

 1 993 to laentify the unique stocks of anadromous fish on National Forests in Alaska. 

 The Alaska Chapter of the AFS has undertaken a review of the status of anadromous 

 fish throughout the state of Alaska and in 1 994 expects to publish a report on stocks 

 at risk in Alaska. 



PACFISH Strategy Executive Summary: Page - I 



