Path for Public Lands in Oregon; Hosmer Lake; Gene Banks for Wild Steelhead
Senator Wyden Charts a Path Forward for Public Lands in Oregon
On November 26, Senator Ron Wyden released his draft bill proposing a long-term solution for the management of 2.1 million acres of federal Oregon and California Lands (“O&C Lands”) in Western Oregon. The plan proposes dividing the landscape into areas for forestry emphasis and conservation emphasis, balancing timber harvest with protection for drinking water, ancient forests, fish and wildlife, and recreation.
WSC President Guido Rahr commended Senator Wyden’s draft bill, “We applaud Senator Wyden’s efforts to craft a balanced plan to protect Oregon’s iconic salmon rivers and invaluable drinking water sources. We look forward to working with the Senator and his staff to ensure that Oregonians continue to enjoy the many ecological, economic, and recreational benefits of healthy, wild salmon watersheds.”
Approximately 75% of O&C Lands are identified by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality as vital to providing clean drinking water for over 1.8 million Oregonians. Senator Wyden’s plan would enshrine into law robust streamside protections and limitations on road building in sensitive areas to ensure that many of Western Oregon’s waterways continue to produce cold, clean water for ecosystems and communities.
The draft bill also creates a new, permanent designation— “Drinking Water Emphasis Areas”— where municipal water providers from Hillsboro, Springfield, Eugene and Clackamas have identified specific portions of watersheds warranting permanent protections. WSC’s VP of Conservation Finance and External Affairs, Greg Block, hailed the new designations.
“Water protection measures included in the draft bill will help ensure these rivers retain their ability to naturally cool and purify water, providing safe, affordable drinking water for downstream communities,” said Block. “We look forward to working with additional municipal water providers throughout the state to expand these protections and prevent the degradation of our water quality, requiring costly engineered solutions to accomplish what a healthy watershed does naturally.”
Over 1400 miles of rivers for fish and wildlife and many of Oregon’s renowned rivers— including the North Umpqua, Rogue, Illinois, McKenzie, Nestucca, Mollala, Sandy and Clackamas—are within O&C Lands and support the healthiest wild salmon and steelhead runs south of Canada.
“Oregon’s salmon strongholds—our watersheds where wild salmon populations are still healthy and strong—represent the best chance for the long-term survival of the species,” Rahr noted. “This plan helps ensure Oregon’s strongholds will have permanent protection and benefit future generations.”
O&C Lands are interspersed with private timber lands in a checkerboard pattern traversing many watersheds throughout Western Oregon. The fragmented lands present challenges for conservation due to the different levels of watershed protection that apply to federal and private lands. Addressing part of this issue, Sen. Wyden included a voluntary land exchange facility.
“Sen. Wyden recognizes that strategic land exchanges and acquisitions offer the opportunity to both improve timber management and conservation by making sure larger blocks of critical salmon and steelhead habitat are protected,” said Rahr.
Senator Wyden will likely confront many obstacles to enacting the draft bill in a deeply divided Congress.
“We will continue working with Chairman Wyden and other congressional leaders to protect drinking water sources and wild salmon strongholds,” Block said. “We will also work shoulder to shoulder with our colleagues to ensure the final bill will not impinge on the public’s ability to participate in the implementation of the proposed plan and there is adequate opportunity to challenge unlawful government agency activity when necessary.”
JD: Anything that’s good for the long-term health of the watersheds is good for the long-term health of the salmon and steelhead in them. Now if Wyden would just get the gill nets out of the Columbia River, he’d be a sport fisherman’s hero.
ODFW considers stocking changes on Hosmer Lake
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is considering changes to the popular fishery at Hosmer Lake near Bend, changes that could include discontinuation of the Atlantic salmon stocking program.
In recent years, fishing at Hosmer Lake has focused on the naturally reproducing brook trout and Atlantic salmon, which are stocked annually, said ODFW fish biologist Brett Hodgson. ODFW diversified the fishery this year with the addition of rainbow and cutthroat trout. Should one or both of these species survive and grow enough to offer a quality fishery, they could replace Atlantic salmon on the stocking schedule, Hodgson said.
“Our management objective for Hosmer Lake is not changing,” he said. “We will continue to manage Hosmer Lake to provide a unique, quality fish experience for a feature species”
“We are simply evaluating some different alternatives for what that featured species will be,” he added.
Hodgson also said ODFW has not proposed any fishing regulations changes for the lake—there are no plans to change its fly-fishing-only status, or allow for the harvest of Atlantic salmon. Current regulations allow anglers to keep five trout per day and will continue.
The proposed changes to the hatchery stocking practices at Hosmer Lake come for two reasons.
Hodgson believes the cutthroat and Cranebow (hatchery rainbow trout produced from wild Crane Prairie redband trout) trout stocked this spring might provide a better fishing opportunity for many anglers. These fish have the potential to reach 20 or more inches long in Hosmer’s rich, productive waters, eclipsing the average Atlantic salmon’s 16-inch length.
The efficient use of hatchery resources is also being considered. For years, the 3,000 Atlantic salmon being stocked into Hosmer have been raised at the nearby Wizard Falls Hatchery. Hosmer is the only lake in Oregon that is stocked with Atlantic salmon and ODFW managers question whether producing a small number of fish for a niche fishery is a good use of resources.
Hodgson stated ODFW will monitor the quality of the Hosmer fishery and the effectiveness of the new stocking program during the summer of 2014. Results will influence ODFW’s proposal for future management. Anglers will have an opportunity to weigh in on the possible changes to stocking practices and regulations at Hosmer during a series of public meetings to be held fall 2014. In the meantime, anglers can send their comment to Brett Hodgson at brett.l.hodgson@state.or.us or 541-388-6009.
“We welcome public input on any future regulation changes for Hosmer Lake,” Hodgson said. Any regulation changes proposed by the public would be considered during the 2016public process for the 2017 sport fishing regulations.
Historically, Hosmer Lake did not have a native fish population, but did boast a scenic mountain setting and crystal clear water. In 1929 ODFW began stocking the lake to provide additional recreational fishing opportunity in Central Oregon. Over the years, Hosmer has been stocked with rainbow trout, Atlantic salmon and brook trout.
JD: Like almost every other fishery that has ever been enhanced by ODFW, once it’s gone, it never comes back. But, in this particular situation the funds are probably better allocated elsewhere.