News - Breaking News for April

By
Steve Rothenbucher
On
Sat 4/1/2017

Check out a new Sandy River Cleanup Effort - Click on following link:

https://www.facebook.com/events/393661561001920/?acontext=%7B%22ref%22%3A%2298%22%2C%22action_history%22%3A%22null%22%7D&ref=110

Check out the Fisherman's Marine Calendar for some cool Kokanee clinics:

http://www.fishermans-marine.com/events/?c=3

Army Corp of Engineers Hatchery Funding Update

As was previously reported in news outlets (http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2017/02/army_corps_of_engineers_consid.html), the Army Corps. Of Engineers was considering rebuking their mitigation responsibilities and considering outsourcing of hatchery production to private parties.  We’ve learned that they have not taken that course of action and the Corps re-affirmed their commitment to their full mitigation responsibilities across the board, of course, budget dependent, but they see no issues in the foreseeable future. Hatcheries will still be supported and some will be out for competitive bid to manage them. 

  1. Bonneville Hatchery –ODFW staff were able to demonstrate that they have shared ownership of the Bonneville facility and therefore the Corps will seek the authority to sole source Bonneville operations to ODFW.  Expectations are that the contract in place by June 30, 2017.   
  2. Willamette Hatcheries – the Corps has been granted authority to sole source operation of the South Santiam, Marion Forks, McKenzie and Willamette Hatcheries to ODFW.  Expect contract in place by June 30, 2017.   
  3. Trout Program – the Corps re-affirmed their commitment to the full mitigation responsibility (277,000 pounds) and it will be based on the detailed stocking schedule ODFW has been implementing.  This contract will be out for competitive bid and ODFW will be able to bid on it. 
  4. Leaburg Hatchery will not be available to anyone for production, but they have begun discussions with ODFW of transferring ownership of Leaburg to ODFW.  If ODFW is the successful bidders on the trout contract, Leaburg would be available for trout production if ODFW takes ownership.  Contract to be awarded by April 30, 2017.   
  5. Cole Rivers Hatchery will go out to competitive bid ASAP as the facility is wholly owned by the federal government.  ODFW will bid on the contract with expected award by June 30, 2017.   Fish Health, Fish Marking and Hatchery Monitoring and Evaluation will all go out to competitive bid and ODFW will bid on all of this.  Contract award expected June 30, 2017.

We look forward to working with ODFW and the Army Corps of Engineers on these programs.  More information to come so stay tuned….