[ODFW-News] Interim standsards to implement native fish policy adopted

[ODFW News]

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife 	
Contact: 	Anne Pressentin Young (503) 947-6020	
Internet: www.dfw.state.or.us  Fax: (503) 947-6009
	

For Immediate Release	Friday, September 12, 2003

Interim standards to implement Native Fish Conservation Policy adopted

SALEM - The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Friday took the final step in a two-year process to complete the re-writing of administrative rules that will guide future fish management in Oregon. The last step required the Commission to adopt interim standards that will direct fish management in basins that currently lack native fish conservation plans. 
The seven-member Commission is the rule-making body for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. The panel meets monthly to adopt policies and administrative rules for 
fish and wildlife issues in the state.

The Native Fish Conservation Policy was adopted last winter after a public task force met numerous times to help draft the rule language. The intent of the policy is to provide a basis for managing hatcheries, fisheries, habitat, predators, competitors, and pathogens in balance with sustainable production of naturally produced native fish. The policy requires ODFW to use a public process to write conservation plans to guide fish management. The elements of the conservation plans are identified in the policy.

Until new conservation plans can be written, however, the interim standards adopted Friday will guide fish management in basins with no basin management plan or other state or federal conservation or recovery plan. They will be used as an "early warning" signal to help biologists detect and address problems that may harm Oregon's native fish populations. The criteria are based on characteristics of healthy populations, including distribution, abundance and fish survival. 
Species management units that are classified "at risk" will be given priority status for development of a conservation plan under the Native Fish Conservation Policy. "At risk" populations do not meet at least three of the adopted interim criteria:
1)	No more than 20 percent of the historic populations within a species management unit have become extinct and no additional populations have been lost since 2003;
2)	Naturally-produced fish in a population must occupy at least 50 percent of its historic habitat;
3)	The number of naturally-produced spawning fish must be greater than 25 percent of the average abundance over the last 30 years;
4)	In years when the number of spawners is less than the 30 year average, the rate of population increase shall be at least 1.2 adult offspring per adult fish;
5)	At least 90 percent of the spawners within a population must be naturally-produced and not hatchery-produced fish, unless the hatchery fish are part of a short-term experimental program to restore a population;
6)	The presence of fish that are the product of deleterious hybridization with species not native to the basin must be rare or non-existent.

In addition, criteria 2-6 must not be met during three years of a five-year interval to be classified as "at risk."


Strategies for 2004 Black-Tailed Deer Hunting Season Presented

The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission heard several options available for the 2004 black-tailed deer hunting season to address concerns of declining populations. 

Tom Thornton, game program manager for ODFW, said hunting seasons are not driving the black-tailed deer population in western Oregon. However, hunter success and buck to doe ratios have declined over the past 20 years. In addition, deer hair loss syndrome and changes in land management practices have affected black-tailed deer populations.

Thornton presented the following options for consideration:
·	Shorten the rifle season, especially the late season;
·	Reduce or eliminate spike deer harvest;
·	Reduce antlerless deer tags;
·	Shorten antlerless deer hunts;
·	Reduce the number of unit-wide hunts;
·	Shorten the early archery season;
·	Reduce or eliminate late archery season;
·	Change archery bag limit to two-point or better;
·	Reduce or eliminate late archery harvest;
·	Reduce or eliminate  antlerless harvest through bag limit restrictions;
·	Reduce number of leftover tags for sale; and
·	Offer leftover tags only to hunters with no tag.

The Commission will consider the options next month in Roseburg.


Fish Health Policy adopted
 
A new rule that clarifies and consolidates fish health policies received approval from the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission Friday.

The goal of the new Fish Health Management Policy is to minimize the effects of fish diseases and agents on Oregon's fish populations by restricting the introduction, amplification or dissemination of disease agents by:
·	Controlling fish egg and fish movements;
·	Restricting the transfer, import or export of fish disease agents into state waters;
·	Implementing treatment and disinfecting strategies when necessary; and
·	Inspecting hatcheries and testing for diseases in hatcheries and wild fish.

The Fish Health Management Policy is a companion policy to the Native Fish Conservation Policy and Fish Hatchery Management Policy.


Grants awarded for hunting access and wildlife habitat restoration

The Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission Friday approved $80,000 in grant funds for two projects as part of the Access and Habitat Program.

Grant funds will be used to:
·	Pay for $35,000 of a $176,000 project to assist the local Soil and Water Conservation District to purchase 83 acres along the John Day River to protect public access, and fish and wildlife habitats; and
·	Contribute $45,000 toward a $70,000 project in Grant County to continue "by-permission" hunting access to private land through the Morgrass Regulated Hunt Area.

A surcharge on hunting licenses funds the Access and Habitat Program.

In other action, the Commission
·	Heard the 2003 Willamette River spring chinook return is the second largest on record at 125,000 fish and the number that crossed Willamette Falls was the highest on record at 87,500 spring chinook;
·	Learned the Bear and Booth Fire Complex in central Oregon has led to a public access closure to 60 percent of the Metolius big game management unit which could affect this fall's controlled hunts;
·	Awarded two controlled hunt bighorn sheep tags to the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation for the 2003 season;
·	Heard a briefing on the current status of warmwater fish management in Oregon; and
·	Received a briefing from ODFW staff and invited experts on Oregon's trap check intervals in preparation for potential rulemaking in October. 

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