News Release
| Release Number: | 01-014 |
| Dated: | 2/8/2001 |
| Contact: | Public Affairs Office, 503-808-4510 |
Portland, Ore.-- Sustainable Ecosystems Institute (SEI) has been retained to help resolve scientific concerns raised in connection with the Columbia River Channel Improvement Project.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), jointly agreed to use SEI’s experience to help resolve fishery issues delaying the Channel project. Consultation among the three agencies began in 1998, and resulted in the Corps receiving two biological opinions, one from NMFS and one from USFWS.
The no-jeopardy biological opinion for the Channel project was issued by NMFS in December 1999 and withdrawn in August 2000. A no-jeopardy biological opinion meant that the Corps could proceed with the action as proposed because the Channel project did not significantly impact the long-term survival of the twelve listed fish species.
“The Corps and the other agencies are committed to working with SEI to resolve the scientific issues,” said Laura Hicks, the Corps’ project manager. “We believe the channel improvement project is economically and environmentally sound, but the issues involved in the Endangered Species Act (ESA) consultation for the project are complex. We decided to use SEI to help us review and address the issues.”
“We are a public benefit, non-profit organization of scientists who have committed to using our technical expertise to help solve ecological issues,” said Dr. Steven Courtney, vice president for research, SEI. “We don’t make value judgments concerning land use or resource policy. We do provide the scientific and technical know-how which is necessary to predict the consequences of possible decisions or actions.”
“NMFS is committed to using the best available science in our decision-making process for this project, and we see the use of SEI as an important mechanism to get us where we need to be,” said Cathy Tortorici, NMFS project manager.
“Bringing the agencies and port representatives together up front, to work out how to proceed, is definitely putting us on the right track to accurately assess the key biological issues involved in this proposal,” said Kemper McMaster, supervisor of the USFWS’ Oregon office. “Having SEI as a neutral facilitator assembling the science panel is going to allow us to work more quickly and with greater confidence.” The USFWS recently assumed ESA authority over coastal cutthroat trout, which are found in the lower Columbia River and estuary, McMaster said.
Congress, which authorized the project during its 1999 session, must still appropriate funds for the channel improvement work. The navigation channel is currently maintained at 40 feet. The estimated cost of the proposed 43-foot channel including environmental restoration of 250 acres in the estuary and $5.6 million of wetland and riparian habitat restoration at Shillapoo Lake, Wash., is $188.3 million.