HOUSE COMMITTEE ON STREAM RESTORATION

& SPECIES RECOVERY

February 07, 2001 Hearing Room E

1:00 P.M. Tapes 26 - 27

MEMBERS PRESENT: Rep. Bob Jenson, Chair

Rep. Jan Lee, Vice-Chair

Rep. Randy Leonard Vice-Chair

Rep. Tim Knopp

Rep. Jeff Kruse

Rep. Patti Smith

Rep. Al King

Rep. Carolyn Tomei

Rep. Kelley Wirth

STAFF PRESENT: Sandy Thiele-Cirka, Committee Administrator

Linda K. Gatto, Committee Assistant

MEASURE/ISSUES HEARD:

Informational Meeting

Coastal Salmon Restoration & Production Task Force

Public Hearing – HB 2536

Informational Meeting

Wild & Hatchery Fish Discussion

Oregon State University Extension Service

Fishhawk Fisheries, Astoria

Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission

These minutes are in compliance with Senate and House Rules. Only text enclosed in quotation marks reports a speaker’s exact words. For complete contents, please refer to the tapes.

TAPE/#	Speaker	Comments
TAPE 26, A
003	Chair Jenson	Calls meeting to order at 1:05 p.m and opens informational meeting.
INFORMATIONAL MEETING COASTAL SALMON RESTORATION & PRODUCTION TASK FORCE
035	Paul Heikkila	Chairman, Coastal Production and Restoration Task Force. Introduces panel.
046	Sen. Joan Dukes	Senate District 1. Reviews the task force membership. Explains the task force’s goals and future plans. Discusses differences between hatchery and wild fish.
150	Chair Jenson	Questions if Sen. Dukes’s group would be opposed to House amendments expanding the program.
165	Sen. Dukes	Answers no, supports the need for continued funding.
172	Rep. King	Comments on wild fish supplementation. Requests a definition for wild fish and clarification regarding hatchery facilities.
202	Sen. Dukes	Defines wild fish. Describes the projects and their goals.
234	Heikkila	Provides further clarification about hatcheries.
273	Rep. Tomei	Questions the genetic composition relating to the mating of wild and hatchery fish.
279	Heikkila	Answers that if the stocks are geographically close to the wild population, the impacts are minimal. Notes that there is weakening if stocks are different from the wild population. Further explains how hatchery fish relate to wild fish.
318	Onno Husing	Director, Oregon Coastal Zone Management Association. Submits and summarizes testimony (EXHIBIT A). Comments that conducting DNA tests on the fish scales will provide answers. Discusses merits of the DNA tests. Explains the dynamics of fish populations.
416	Sen. Dukes	Comments on the selection process.
TAPE 27, A
031	Chair Jenson	Asks about the white paper draft and when it will be finalized. States that Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife (ODFW) has a companion piece to it.
037	Sen. Dukes	Notes that the task force adopted it pending some changes.
045	Husing	Further clarifies that the report is essentially complete and is being re-sent to the task force members for a final input. Explains how the projects came to be.
063	Chair Jenson	Closes informational meeting and opens public hearing on HB 2536.
HB 2536 – PUBLIC HEARING
061	Sandy Thiele-Cirka	Committee Administrator. Summarizes HB 2536.
095	Geoff Huntington	Executive Director, Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB). Submits and summarizes testimony (EXHIBIT B).
164	Huntington	Comments that what the bill is requesting is currently being done.
170	Rep. Lee	Questions how the cost sharing occurs with on the ground practices.
176	Huntington	Responds there is a match requirement for projects that are not on the ground. Provides explanation.
190	Rep. Lee	Questions if OWEB and the Soil and Water Conservation Commission engage in cost-sharing programs and how it differs from the program being requested in HB 2536.
193	Huntington	Responds that OWEB is developing a rules advisory committee to address and focus on small identifiable projects.
231	Rep. Kruse	Discusses the concern with state funds being allocated to state agencies. Addresses the removal of legislative overview from the grant-funding process.
300	Rep. King	Comments that outside insight provides good direction for dealing with this process.
311	Rep. Kruse	Notes that micro managing is a potential problem the legislature faces.
325	Rep. Lee	Comments in support of the oversight from the point of view that the need is being met.
337	Huntington	Comments in agreement and offers support in the process.
371	Glen Stonebrink	Representing the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association. States that his comments are on a personal level. Testifies in support and explains benefits of the program.
TAPE 26, B
024	Chair Jenson	Closes the public hearing on HB 2536 and re-opens informational meeting.
INFORMATIONAL MEETING
034	Jim Bergeron	Marine/Sea Grant Extension Faculty. Introduces Steve Fick.
041	Steve Fick	Owner, Fishhawk Fisheries. Explains that evidence indicates that there are conflicts between wild and hatchery fish. Argues for a strong strategic plan that does not encumber the hatchery system.
080	Fick	Continues discussing Oregon’s environmental issues which have resulted in diminished wild fish runs.
101	Fick	Reviews hatchery production in Alaska. Notes that the hatchery fish are separated from the wild fish.
120	Rep. Tomei	Requests clarification relating to harvesting and wild fish.
128	Fick	Explains that he was proposing that streams that currently sustain fish should be addressed before those streams that are suitable for fish populations to survive.
132	Rep. Tomei	Asks how it would impede hatchery fish.
134	Bergeron	Answers that in streams where there are no wild Coho, the watershed council is interested in the re-establishment and the salmon project.
157	Fick	Comments that technology has been developed to be more selective of hatchery fish. Cites example of the development of a new fishing net which lowers fish mortality rates.
175	John Platt	Special Assistant to Executive Director, Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission. Discusses treaties between Native Americans and the United States regarding salmon.
201	Chris Beasley	Conservation Geneticist, Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission. Presents power-point presentation relating to tribal fish policies (EXHIBIT C).
245	Rep. King	Asks for explanation of outplanting.
247	Beasley	Provides explanation of outplanting. Continues presentation.
270	Chair Jenson	Questions if evolutionary significant unit (ESU) is used on the East Coast.
272	Beasley	Responds not to his knowledge. Continues presentation.
309	Beasley	Discusses common assumptions that relate to fish populations and role of the environment.
369	Chair Jenson	Comments that often salmon mortality is thought to be related to the fish themselves when there are often environmental factors that play a significant role.
380	Beasley	Concurs. Explains further. Continues presentation. Comments that natural mortality is random.
TAPE 27, B
003	Rep. Kruse	Asks if Mr. Beasley would assume that predation on juvenile salmon is random.
006	Beasley	Responds affirmatively. Continues presentation. Reviews the probability of differentiating between wild and hatchery fish. Comments on the need for hatchery fish.
125	Beasley	Discusses how salmon contribute to the ecosystem.
157	Beasley	Concludes with the Tribal proposal.
191	Cathryn Brigham	Member of the Umatilla Board of Trustees. Discusses economic and political aspects of salmon restoration. Comments on existing treaties
224	Platt	Comments on the power crisis and the economic impact.
257	Brigham	Discusses the success of salmon restoration on the Umatilla River.
287	Chair Jenson	Further elaborates on the success of the Umatilla.
306	Rep. Tomei	Asks Mr. Beasley why hatchery fish are successful in the Umatilla.
318	Beasley	Responds that it is a result of the current hatchery practices.
331	Brigham	Offers further explanation of fish practices.
363	Chair Jenson	Notes that efforts of the Umatilla Tribe on the Umatilla River have extended into the Walla Walla River.
388	Beasley	Concurs. Provides closing comments.
394	Chair Jenson	Closes informational meeting and adjourns the meeting at 3:04 p.m.

Submitted By, Reviewed By,

Linda K. Gatto, Sandy Thiele-Cirka

Committee Assistant Committee Administrator

Transcribed by,

Michael Reiley

EXHIBIT SUMMARY

A – Coastal Salmon Restoration & Production Task Force, white paper, Onno Husing,

33 pp

B –HB 2536, written testimony Geoff Huntington, 10 pp

C – Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission, written testimony/power-point,

Chris Beasley, 57 pp