and its underlying foundation of eco- 

 logical science. 



The 2000 program addresses all 

 of the "Four Hs" of impacts on fish 

 and w ildlife — hydropower, habitat, 

 hatcheries and harvest. 



In preparing the 2000 Fish and 

 Wildlife Prcigram. the Council solic- 

 ited recommendations from the 

 region's fish and wildlife agencies, 

 Indian tribes, and others, as required 

 by the Northwest Power .'\ct. The 

 agencies and tribes responded, and 

 the Council also received proposals 

 from other interested parties. In ail, 

 the Council received more than 50 

 recommendations totaling more than 

 2,000 pages. After reviewing the rec- 

 ommendations, the Council prepared 

 a draft and then conducted an exten- 

 sive public ciMiiment period before 

 finalizing the program in December 

 2000. 



The Council's responsibility is to 

 mitigate the impact of hydropower 

 dams on all fish and wildlife in 

 the Columbia River Basin, including 

 endangered species, through a pro- 

 gram of enhancement and protection. 

 As a planning agency required by 

 law to balance fish and wildlife 

 enhancement against impacts to the 

 region's hydropower system, the 

 Council is uniquely positioned as an 

 honest broker among the agencies, 

 tribes, electric utilities and environ- 



"Through its fish and 



wildlife program, the 



Council provides 



guidance and 



recommendations 



on hundreds of millions 



of dollars per year of 



Bonneville Power 



Administration revenues 



to mitigate the impact 



of hydropower on fish 



and wildlife." 



mental and business interests whose 

 activities and legal rights involve the 

 rivers, hydropower, fish and wildlife. 

 In this role, the Council provides the 

 most objective public forum to dis- 

 cuss and debate fish and wildlife and 

 energy issues. 



Through its fish and wildlife pro- 

 gram, the Council provides guidance 



and recommendations on hundreds of 

 millions of dollars per year of Bonn- 

 eville Power Administration revenues 

 to mitigate the impact of hydropower 

 on fish and wildlife. That amounl 

 is expected to increase in the future 

 as enhancement efforts expand and 

 accelerate. The funding is provided 

 by Bonneville from the sale of elec- 

 tricity generated at 29 federal hydro- 

 power dams and one non-federal 

 nuclear power plant in the Columbia 

 River Basin. 



The Council ensures the public 

 accountability of these expenditures 

 by submitting each project proposed 

 for funding under its program to 

 a thorough review by the region's 

 fish and wildlife agencies and Indian 

 tribes, the public, and by an 1 1 -mem- 

 ber panel of independent scientists, 

 the Independent Scientific Review 

 Panel. Established by Congress, 

 panel members are appointed by the 

 Council from recommendations of 

 the National Academy of Sciences. 



This program, and more infor- 

 mation about the Council, its fish, 

 wildlife and power planning activi- 

 ties, and public imohement opportu- 

 nities, can be found at the Council's 

 website, vvww.nwcouncil.ora. 



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