Since 1988, FWP has inventoried or otherwise assessed 102 tributaries and six 

 reaches of the Blackfoot River, and identified fisheries impairments on a great majority 

 (96) of these water bodies (Pierce et al 2005, Appendix F). With information derived 

 from these and other investigations, and with the cooperation of stakeholders, forty- four 

 tributaries have been targeted for fisheries restoration actions (Appendix E). The 

 geographic focus of restoration has been lower-river tributaries and bull trout core area 

 streams. With restoration progressing in these areas, projects have expanded to other 

 waters of the basin. 



In addition to the scale of restoration, the scope of stakeholder involvement in the 

 fisheries initiative continues to expand. The Blackfoot Challenge (BC) has expanded 

 their role to include: 1) coordinating studies and fiind-raising for water quality impaired 

 (TMDL) streams; 2) facilitating conservation easements; and 3) lending field staff 

 support. Likewise, the Big Blackfoot Chapter of Trout Unlimited (BBCTU), North 

 Powell Conservation District (NPCD), Nature Conservancy (TNC) and Five Valleys 

 Land Trust (FVLT) are increasingly engaged in the development and oversight of many 

 fisheries-related restoration projects. The combined services of federal agencies - U.S. 

 Fish and Wildlife Service - Partners for Fish and Wildlife (USFWS), Natural Resource 

 Conservation Service (NRCS) and Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) are providing a wider 

 range of resource expertise, project funding and technical services. The Bonneville 

 Power Administration (BPA), the Trout Unlimited Western Water Project and 

 Department of Natural Resource Conservation (DNRC) are helping coordinate drought, 

 instream flow and water leasing projects. Northwestern Energy (NWE) - Milltown 

 Mitigation Funds help cost-share restoration and research, as well as FWP fisheries 

 monitoring personnel. Private landowners, private foundations and others also contribute 

 significant resources to fisheries-related projects. This affiliation - the Blackfoot 

 Cooperators herein, form the general support base of the Blackfoot River Fisheries 

 Restoration Initiative. A summary of their support by individual stream is located in 

 Appendix G. 



This expansion has produced new fisheries initiatives and restoration 

 opportunities. One new initiative - the Expedited EQIP Bull Trout and Westslope 

 Cutthroat Trout Conservation program directs federal (NRCS) resources to FWP- 

 identified priority native trout streams. A Native Fisheries Habitat Conservation Plan 

 (HCP) - a cooperative venture between FWP, USFWS, TNC and Plum Creek Timber 

 Company now in the development phases will perpetually protect large tracts of 

 industrial forest containing critical native fish waters, if approved. The fiiture land use of 

 large tracts of federally designated roadless lands of the Blackfoot Watershed, including 

 many native fish-bearing streams, is now being reviewed by the Governor's office. 

 Decisions regarding the disposition of these areas will have broad implications to the 

 fiiture conservation of native fish. Other important fisheries projects involve the 

 impending removal of Milltown dam and recent removal of the Stimson weir, both 

 located near the mouth of the Blackfoot River. The Mike Horse Mine, a contaminated 

 mining area posing extreme ecological risk to the mainstem Blackfoot River, is a focus of 

 clean-up discussions. The USPS (Lolo and Lewis and Clark National Forests) has also 

 expanded their role with watershed groups with respect to correcting problem road 

 crossings in streams supporting priority fisheries. Although promising, growth has also 

 generated its own set of challenges, such as pressure to identify projects and expend 



