Fish & Wildlife Commission, Sept. 2

The Commission will meet Friday Sept. 2 in Welches, Ore., to adopt the Forage Fish Management Plan. The Friday meeting begins at 8 a.m. at The Resort at the Mountain, Hunchback Room, 68010 East Fairway Ave., Welches and follows this agenda. Meeting materials can be viewed and downloaded on the ODFW web site. Other commission business includes: Thursday Sept. 1 tour of various locations in the Mount Hood National Forest to view: The use of new technology that allows the remote monitoring and operation of wildlife traps and how it was used for the Mt. Hood elk habitat study. The use of temporary weirs and traps in the upper Sandy River basin to sort and selectively remove hatchery spring Chinook from wild fish spawning areas. The new sorting/handling facilities and intake structure at Sandy Hatchery. The use of smolt acclimation in the Bull Run River as a long-term strategy to minimize number of hatchery spring Chinook in wild fish spawning areas. The use of an operating resistance board weir that is used to collect and sort spring Chinook returning to Bull Run River. Forage Fish Management Plan: To complement recent federal regulations, the Oregon Forage Fish Management Plan (FFMP) is designed to protect a suite of forage fish species in state waters. The Commission will be asked to adopt the FFMP for 2017 implementation. Fish Screening Task Force Member Appointment: The Commission will be asked to appoint a new member representing agriculture. Oregon Disabilities Hunting and Fishing Permit (DHFP): The agency, Oregon State Police, and several hunting organizations, began a review of the DHFP program last year to develop recommendations for potential changes. Staff will present recommendations to the Commission and request their feedback and direction. Access and Habitat (A&H) Project Funding: The Commission will be ask to approve two A&H projects that will provide, “Welcome to Hunt” access on private lands. Consideration of a Marbled Murrelet Petition: The Commission received a petition from Cascadia Wildlands, the Center for Biological Diversity, Coast Range Forest Watch, Oregon Wild, the Audubon Society of Portland, and the Oregon Chapter of the Sierra Club pertaining to Marbled Murrelets in Oregon. The petition requests that the seabird be reclassified from threatened to endangered (uplisted) under Oregon’s Endangered Species Act. The Commission will determine whether the petition presents substantial scientific information to justify proceeding with consideration of the requested action. If the petition is accepted by the Commission, this will initiate the rulemaking process. The rulemaking process includes an assessment of the biological status of the Marbled Murrelet in Oregon by ODFW, and consultation with affected agencies, tribes, organizations, and the public. The Commission is the policy-making body for fish and wildlife issues in the state. Public testimony before the Commission will be held first thing Friday morning, just after the adoption of temporary rules. Persons seeking to testify on issues not on the formal agenda may do so by making arrangements with the ODFW Director’s Office, at least 24 hours in advance of the meeting, by calling 800-720-6339 or 503-947-6044. Reasonable accommodations will be provided as needed for individuals requesting assistive hearing devices, sign language interpreters or large-print materials. Individuals needing these types of accommodations may call the ODFW Director’s Office at 800-720-6339 or 503-947-6044 at least 24 hours in advance of the meeting.