News Release
| Release Number: | 02-062 |
| Dated: | 4/3/2002 |
| Contact: | Matt Rabe, 503-808-4510 |
Portland, Ore.-Under an agreement approved Tuesday, the federal government will be able to encourage the relocation of Caspian terns this spring in an effort to protect juvenile salmon and steelhead migrating down the Columbia River to the Pacific Ocean.
Federal District Court Judge Barbara Rothstein in Seattle signed an order April 2 approving the settlement agreement that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service entered into with conservation groups that sued the federal government in April 2000 over the relocation efforts.
"We are happy that the parties could agree on a plan that will benefit Caspian terns and salmon and steelhead, which are all native to the Columbia River Basin," said Anne Badgley, Regional Director of the Fish and Wildlife Service's Pacific Region. "It is important that we balance the needs of native species."
"Addressing the Caspian terns is an important component in the overall strategy of aiding the long-term recovery of salmon and steelhead," said Col. Randall Butler, Portland District engineer. "We are confident we can successfully relocate the majority of the colony this spring without any short- or long-term negative impact to the birds."
The settlement requires the federal government to prepare and maintain six acres of suitable tern habitat on East Sand Island, near the mouth of the Columbia River, and complete three studies related to Caspian terns – predation analysis, tern status assessment and nest site feasibility. Once these studies are completed, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will take the lead in preparing a long-term management plan and an environmental impact statement for Caspian terns in the Columbia River estuary. The draft is due out no later than Oct. 1, 2004.
The agreement also allows the government to continue research efforts in the estuary and resume hazing activities on Rice Island to discourage terns from settling there. Studies have shown that Caspian terns eat significantly fewer juvenile salmon and steelhead when they settle on East Sand Island instead of on Rice Island, which is about 15 miles upstream.
The Corps of Engineers will begin work immediately to prepare tern nesting habitat on East Sand Island. Corps employees will use a tractor, bulldozer and other farm-style equipment to remove vegetation that has grown on the island since 2001. Efforts will begin immediately because terns have started to arrive in the lower estuary and it is important to finish the work before the birds begin laying eggs. The work should take about five days to complete. The terns migrate between the Columbia River and Central and South America, spending spring and summer here.
In addition to removing vegetation from tern nesting habitat on East Sand Island, the government will use decoys and recorded tern sounds to lure the birds to the island. These actions, used in previous seasons, have been successful in attracting the majority of the nesting colony to East Sand Island. Hazing activities on Rice Island may include passive – flagging and re-vegetation – and active – pre-nesting hazing – measures.
The plaintiffs in the lawsuit were the National Audubon Society, Defenders of Wildlife, Seattle Audubon Society and the American Bird Conservancy. The case was No. C00-615R, filed in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington.