ODFW set to test a new approach to fish passage mitigation, April 10

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) has announced the details of a new pilot project that will allow ODFW to steer fish passage mitigation resources from individual impact sites, such as culverts, to fish passage mitigation banks – locations where high priority barriers are removed and benefits to native migratory fish are maximized. The public will have until April 28 to comment on a Fish Passage Mitigation Banking Pilot Project to be implemented on the North Coast. The Mitigation Banking Project is part of the three-year agreement between ODFW and the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT). ODFW and ODOT developed the fish passage mitigation pilot project as a way to address high priority passage projects and to make cost effective repairs to the state’s highway infrastructure. The agreement was signed by the two state agencies in December of 2012. The goal is to develop an effective mitigation process that provides a net benefit to native migratory fish, makes the waiver process more transparent and defensible, and directs ODOT resources to maximize benefits to native migratory fish. According to Dave Stewart, ODFW’s ODOT liaison, the concept of mitigation banking will be tested on North Coast rivers and streams, and the results there will be used to determine the statewide potential of a mitigation banking program. A description of the Fish Passage Mitigation Banking Pilot Project and related documents can be found on the ODFW web site. ODFW will be accepting public comments on this Fish Passage Mitigation Banking Pilot Project until April 28. Comments can be addressed to Dave Stewart, ODFW, 4034 Fairview Industrial Drive SE Salem, OR 97302 or email to dave.stewart@state.or.us.