mainstem oftlic Columbia and Snake 

 Rivers — this picitzram socks iiabitat 

 improvements outside tiie iiydrosys- 

 tem as a means of ofF-setting some of 

 the impacts of tlic hydrosystem. 



for example, passage through tiie 

 hydrosystem causes injury to spring 

 Chinook. While measures at the dams 

 can and should be taken to reduce 

 this injury, as long as the dams exist 

 they will continue to cause some of 

 this injuiy As an otTset. the program 

 may call for improvements in spawn- 

 ing and rearing habitats in tributaries 

 where there are no dams present. By 

 restoring these habitats, which were 

 not damaged by the hydrosystem, the 

 program helps compensate for the 

 existence of the hydrosystem. 



Habitat considerations extend 

 beyond the tributaries, however. His- 

 torically, the mainstem Columbia and 

 Snake rivers were among the most pro- 

 ductive spawning and rearing habitats 

 for salmonids and pro\ ided essential 

 resting and feeding habitat for main- 

 stem resident and migrating fish. Pro- 

 tection and restoration of mainstem 

 habitat conditions must be a critical 

 piece of this habitat-based program. 



As explained further in other parts 

 of this program, a specific plan will 

 be developed for each of the subba- 

 sins in the Columbia River Basin and 

 for related sections of the mainstem 

 Columbia and Snake rivers, as well 

 as objectives and strategies for each 

 ecological province. Each subbasin 

 plan will begin with an assessment 

 of the current physical and biological 

 conditions, and then address the 

 improvements that are needed. 



The Council believes there is a 

 wide variety of potentially successful 

 approaches that may be used to 

 miprove and maintain habitat, and 

 also believes that the choice of which 

 approach to use is best left to a 

 local, site-specitic decision, subject 

 to scientific review. However, all 

 subbasin plans, and measures within 

 those plans, should be consistent with 

 the vision and biological objectives, 

 and the follow iim stratesiies: 



Build from Strength 



Efforts to improve the status offish 

 and wildlife populations in the basin 

 should protect habitat that supports 

 existing populations that are rela- 

 tively healthy and productive. Next, 

 we should expand adjacent habitats 

 that have been historically productive 

 or have a likelihood of sustaining 

 healthy populations by reconnecting 

 or improving habitat. In a similar 

 manner, this strategy applies to the 

 restoration of weak stocks: the resto- 

 ration should focus first on the habitat 

 where portions of that population are 

 doing relatively well, and then extend 

 to adjacent habitats. 



Restore Ecosystems, Not Just 

 Single Species 



Increasing the abundance of single 

 populations may not, by itself, result 

 in long-term recovery. Restoration 

 efforts must focus on restoring habi- 

 tats and developing ecosystem condi- 

 tions and functions that will allow for 

 expanding and maintaining a diver- 

 sity within, and among, species in 

 order to sustain a system of robust 

 populations in the face of environ- 

 mental variation. 



Use Native Species Wherever Fea- 

 sible 



Even in degraded or altered environ- 

 ments, native species in native hab- 

 itats provide the best starting point 

 and direction for needed biological 

 conditions in most cases. Where a 

 species native to that particular habi- 

 tat cannot be restored, then another 

 species native to the Columbia River 

 [iasin should be used. Any proposal 

 to produce or release non-native spe- 

 cies must overcome this strong pre- 

 sumption in favor of native species 

 and habitats and be designed to avoid 

 adverse impacts on native species. 



Substitution 



Mitigation in areas blocked to 

 salnn)n and steelhead by the develop- 

 ment and operation of the hydropower 

 system is appropriate, and flexibility 

 in approach is needed to de\elop a 

 program that provides resident fish 

 substitutions for lost salmon and steel- 

 head where in-kind mitigation cannot 

 occur. The "Compilation of Salmon 

 and Steelhead Losses in the Columbia 

 River Basin" and the "Numerical Esti- 

 mates of Hydropower-related Losses" 

 adopted in Appendices D and E of the 

 1987 program, and contained in the 

 Appendix to this program together, 

 are the starting place for the Council's 

 approach regarding substitution. 



Include the Estuary 



The estuary is an important eco- 

 logical feature that is negatively 

 affected by upriver management 

 actions and local habitat change. 

 While less is known about the poten- 

 tial for improvement in the estuary 

 than is known about the potential for 

 improvement in most other parts of 

 the Columbia River Basin, there are 

 indications that substantial improve- 

 ments are possible and that these 

 improvements may benefit most of 

 the anadromous fish populations. The 

 estuary will be included as one of the 

 planning units for this program. (The 

 freshwater plume and the ocean itself 

 are also important habitats for salmon 

 and are addressed in the Ocean Con- 

 ditions section of this program.) 



Address Transboundary Species 



Because about 15 percent of the 

 Columbia River Basin is in British 

 Columbia, including the headwaters 

 of the Columbia and several of its 

 key tributaries, ecosystem restora- 

 tion efforts should address trans- 

 boundary stocks offish and wildlife 

 and transboundary habitats. Where 

 mitigation measures are designed to 

 benefit both U.S. and Canadian fish 

 and wildlife populations, U.S. rate- 

 payer funding should be in propor- 

 tion to anticipated benefits to the 

 U.S. populations. 



2000 COLUM' 



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