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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%'><tr><td style='background:white;padding:8.25pt 8.25pt 8.25pt 8.25pt'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";font-variant:small-caps;color:black'>NOAA Status Review: None Of 28 ESA-Listed Pacific Salmon/Steelhead Stocks Warrant Status Change</span></b><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> <br>Posted on Thursday, June 02, 2016 (PST) <a href="http://www.cbbulletin.com/436826.aspx">http://www.cbbulletin.com/436826.aspx</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></td></tr><tr><td style='background:white;padding:8.25pt 8.25pt 8.25pt 8.25pt'><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>NOAA Fisheries completed its five-year status review for 28 Pacific salmon and steelhead stocks last week. None of the fish stocks, all listed as threatened or endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act, warranted a change in status.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>NOAA is required under the ESA to review all ESA-listed stocks every five years to determine if each should be delisted, reclassified from endangered to threatened or threatened to endangered, or whether the fish should keep its current classification.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>“Many species have either improved or remained stable since the previous review in 2011, but none of the species reviewed have declined significantly or improved such that a change in listing status is warranted,” NOAA said in an announcement. “This means that the species’ conditions have not significantly declined but also that they have not improved enough to reach the next threshold on the path to recovery.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>The news for West Coast salmon is mixed, NOAA said. The good news is that Oregon Coast coho salmon, mid-Columbia steelhead and Hood Canal chum, have rebounded strongly from the lows of past decades, and highly endangered Snake River sockeye are showing a “newfound promise” for recovery thanks to a captive broodstock program.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Other fish have not fared as well. The California drought and high ocean and stream temperatures in recent years hit many populations hard. Simply sustaining imperiled fish through such trying conditions is an important success, according to NOAA.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Drought conditions and high stream temperatures for Sacramento River winter chinook reduced the 2015 survival of juvenile fish in the first stretch of river to just 3 percent.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>NOAA said it knows more since its previous 5-year review in 2011 about the biological status and needs of some species, but other species still need research.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>“We are seeing significant progress, but, as anticipated in our recovery plans, it is slow and steady,” NOAA said. “Progress will be measured, and achieved, over decades. This is because salmon are especially sensitive to environmental conditions, they experience wide fluctuations in population size, and the benefits from habitat improvements and recovery actions take time to accrue.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>NOAA identified several key findings:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>-- habitat degradation and the lack of complex, cold water refuge continue to threaten the survival and recovery of many populations; <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>--hatcheries have successfully thwarted extinction for several species, but maintaining the genetic integrity of wild stocks continues to be a cornerstone of management efforts; <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>--ongoing collection of monitoring data is critical for refining recovery efforts on the ground; and <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>--the recovery plans provide strong roadmaps to recovery, but more work remains to implement them.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>NOAA also identified new trend information:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>--it had limited data on Snake River steelhead in 2011, but after five years of new monitoring data for populations in Idaho and Oregon, the agency’s ability to assess the abundance of wild fish and diversity across Snake River steelhead populations has improved. Though a change in listing status is not warranted at this time, NOAA said that Snake River steelhead populations are “holding steady” since the previous review. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>--Southern Oregon and northern California data is less clear. Returns of coho salmon to the Shasta River in 2014 and 2015 was very low, but there is insufficient data to fully understand the trends for Southern Oregon and Northern California coho.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Several environmental factors will influence salmon returns in the future that will provide researchers the opportunity to track the resiliency of the populations and their ability to handle the sort of natural environmental variations that have always influenced salmon numbers.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Those factors are the warm expanse of water known as “the blob” along the West Coast that began to show up in 2013 and then gave way to El Nino conditions in late 2015. Such warm conditions often reduce ocean productivity, including survivability of salmon and steelhead year classes that are in the ocean.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>All 28 five-year status reviews are available at the NOAA Fisheries website at <a href="http://www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/publications/status_reviews/salmon_steelhead/2016_status_review.html"><span style='color:#663366;text-decoration:none'>http://www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/publications/status_reviews/salmon_steelhead/2016_status_review.html</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>For the Columbia River Basin:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>--Upper Columbia River, Summary & Evaluation of Upper Columbia River Steelhead and Spring-Run Chinook, <a href="http://www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/publications/status_reviews/salmon_steelhead/2016/2016_upper-columbia.pdf"><span style='color:#663366;text-decoration:none'>http://www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/publications/status_reviews/salmon_steelhead/2016/2016_upper-columbia.pdf</span></a> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>--Snake River, Summary & Evaluation of Snake River Sockeye, Spring-Summer & Fall-Run Chinook, & Steelhead, <a href="http://www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/publications/status_reviews/salmon_steelhead/2016/2016_snake-river.pdf"><span style='color:#663366;text-decoration:none'>http://www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/publications/status_reviews/salmon_steelhead/2016/2016_snake-river.pdf</span></a> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>--Middle Columbia River, Summary & Evaluation of Middle Columbia River Steelhead, <a href="http://www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/publications/status_reviews/salmon_steelhead/2016/2016_middle-columbia.pdf"><span style='color:#663366;text-decoration:none'>http://www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/publications/status_reviews/salmon_steelhead/2016/2016_middle-columbia.pdf</span></a> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>--Upper Willamette River, Summary & Evaluation of Upper Willamette River Steelhead and Chinook, <a href="http://www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/publications/status_reviews/salmon_steelhead/2016/2016_upper-willamette.pdf"><span style='color:#663366;text-decoration:none'>http://www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/publications/status_reviews/salmon_steelhead/2016/2016_upper-willamette.pdf</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>--Lower Columbia River, Summary & Evaluation of Lower Columbia River Chinook Salmon, Chum Salmon, Coho Salmon, & Steelhead, <a href="http://www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/publications/status_reviews/salmon_steelhead/2016/2016_lower-columbia.pdf"><span style='color:#663366;text-decoration:none'>http://www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/publications/status_reviews/salmon_steelhead/2016/2016_lower-columbia.pdf</span></a> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Areas outside the Columbia River Basin:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Oregon Coast, Summary & Evaluation of Oregon Coast Coho Salmon, <a href="http://www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/publications/status_reviews/salmon_steelhead/2016/2016_oc-coho.pdf"><span style='color:#663366;text-decoration:none'>http://www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/publications/status_reviews/salmon_steelhead/2016/2016_oc-coho.pdf</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Southern Oregon & Northern Oregon Coast, Summary & Evaluation of Southern Oregon/Northern California Coho, <a href="http://www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/publications/status_reviews/salmon_steelhead/2016/2016_soncc_coho.pdf"><span style='color:#663366;text-decoration:none'>http://www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/publications/status_reviews/salmon_steelhead/2016/2016_soncc_coho.pdf</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Puget Sound, Summary & Evaluation of Puget Sound Chinook, steelhead, & Hood Canal summer-run Chum (link not yet available).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Lake Ozette, Summary & Evaluation of Ozette Lake Sockeye, http://www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/publications/status_reviews/salmon_steelhead/2016/2016_lake_ozette.pdf.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Sacramento River, Summary & Evaluation of Sacramento River winter-run Chinook, (link not yet available).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>California Central Valley, Summary & Evaluation of Central Valley Spring-Run Chinook, <a href="http://www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/publications/status_reviews/salmon_steelhead/2016/2016_cv-spring-run-chinook.pdf"><span style='color:#663366;text-decoration:none'>http://www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/publications/status_reviews/salmon_steelhead/2016/2016_cv-spring-run-chinook.pdf</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Summary & Evaluation of Central Valley Steelhead, <a href="http://www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/publications/status_reviews/salmon_steelhead/2016/2016_cv-steelhead.pdf"><span style='color:#663366;text-decoration:none'>http://www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/publications/status_reviews/salmon_steelhead/2016/2016_cv-steelhead.pdf</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>California Coast, Summary & Evaluation of Central California Coast Coho, <a href="http://www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/publications/status_reviews/salmon_steelhead/2016/2016_ccc-coho.pdf"><span style='color:#663366;text-decoration:none'>http://www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/publications/status_reviews/salmon_steelhead/2016/2016_ccc-coho.pdf</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Summary & Evaluation of Central California Steelhead, <a href="http://www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/publications/status_reviews/salmon_steelhead/2016/2016_ccc-steelhead.pdf"><span style='color:#663366;text-decoration:none'>http://www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/publications/status_reviews/salmon_steelhead/2016/2016_ccc-steelhead.pd</span></a>f <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Summary & Evaluation of California Coastal Chinook Salmon and Northern California Steelhead, <a href="http://www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/publications/status_reviews/salmon_steelhead/2016/2016_cc-chinook_nc-steelhd.pdf"><span style='color:#663366;text-decoration:none'>http://www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/publications/status_reviews/salmon_steelhead/2016/2016_cc-chinook_nc-steelhd.pdf</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Summary & Evaluation of South-Central California Coast Steelhead, <a href="http://www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/publications/status_reviews/salmon_steelhead/2016/2016_sccc-steelhead.pdf"><span style='color:#663366;text-decoration:none'>http://www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/publications/status_reviews/salmon_steelhead/2016/2016_sccc-steelhead.pdf</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Summary & Evaluation of Southern California Coast Steelhead, <a href="http://www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/publications/status_reviews/salmon_steelhead/2016/2016_scc-steelhead.pdf"><span style='color:#663366;text-decoration:none'>http://www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/publications/status_reviews/salmon_steelhead/2016/2016_scc-steelhead.pdf</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Other supporting links are:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Status Review Update for Pacific Salmon & Steelhead Listed Under the Endangered Species Act: Northwest Fisheries Science Center, <a href="http://www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/publications/status_reviews/salmon_steelhead/2016/2016_nwfsc.pdf"><span style='color:#663366;text-decoration:none'>http://www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/publications/status_reviews/salmon_steelhead/2016/2016_nwfsc.pdf</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Status Review Update for Pacific Salmon & Steelhead Listed Under the Endangered Species Act: Southwest Fisheries Science Center, <a href="http://www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/publications/status_reviews/salmon_steelhead/2016/2016_swfsc.pdf"><span style='color:#663366;text-decoration:none'>http://www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/publications/status_reviews/salmon_steelhead/2016/2016_swfsc.pdf</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>5-Year Status Review: Listing Status Under the Endangered Species Act for Hatchery Program Associated with Listed Salmon & Steelhead, <a href="http://www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/publications/status_reviews/salmon_steelhead/2016/2016_jones-et-al.pdf"><span style='color:#663366;text-decoration:none'>http://www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/publications/status_reviews/salmon_steelhead/2016/2016_jones-et-al.pdf</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>May 26, 2016 Federal Register Notice, <a href="http://www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/publications/frn/2016/81fr33468.pdf"><span style='color:#663366;text-decoration:none'>http://www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/publications/frn/2016/81fr33468.pdf</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p></td></tr></table><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>