p i s c a t o r i a l p r e s s - orafs.orgorafs.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/ppwinter2013.pdf ·...

1

I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E :

O R E G O N C H A P T E R O F T H E A M E R I C A N F I S H E R I E S S O C I E T Y

P I S C A T O R I A L P R E S SP I S C A T O R I A L P R E S SP I S C A T O R I A L P R E S S

W I N T E R 2 0 1 3

P R E S I D E N T ’ S

C O R N E R

1

E X C O M

O F F I C E R S &

C O M M I T T E E

C H A I R S

2

E X T E R N A L

D I R E C T O R ’ S

R E P O R T

3

J U D G E S

N E E D E D

3

F I S H E R Y

F I E L D N O T E S :

S O C K E Y E I N

T H E M E T O L I U S

4

2 0 1 3 - 2 0 1 4

E X C O M

C A N D I D A T E S

5 - 7

A N N U A L

M E E T I N G

F L Y E R

8

O V E R V I E W O F

A N N U A L

M E E T I N G

9 - 1 0

P L E N A R Y

A D D R E S S

1 0

W O R K S H O P S 1 1 -

1 2

V E N D O R S &

R E G I S T R A T I O N

1 2

R A F F L E &

A U C T I O N

13

N A T I V E F I S H

C O M M I T T E E

14

S T U D E N T

V O L U N T E E R S

14

S C H E D U L E - A T -

A - G L A N C E

15

T E C H N I C A L

S E S S I O N S

16

A W A R D

N O M I N A T I O N S

17

L O D G I N G 18

H I S T O R Y ’ S

M Y S T E R I E S

18-19

P R E S I D E N T ’ S C O R N E R : A N T I C I P A T I O N

Anticipation? You’re probably thinking…isn’t the season for anticipation over? The presents opened, the tree on the burn-pile, skinny jeans hiding in the closet, and the credit-card maxed out. This is anticipation hangover time – isn’t it? Not if you serve on the Oregon Chapter ExCom, you see…we’ve been so busy this fall there wasn’t a lick of time to anticipate the holidays. Early this fall, as garage rafters supported the carcasses of deer and elk (yes, hunting season is the ‘holidays’ in eastern Oregon) your ExCom retreated in Bend to plan the upcoming annual meeting and chapter business. Besides the incredible amount of work we accomplished and the delightful team-building, I most enjoyed the food tasting at the Riverhouse – trust me, you won’t be disappointed! I was also grateful to have the opportunity to attend the Western Division retreat in Davis, CA this fall. It’s always heart-warming to meet other dedicated and passionate people representing AFS and our fishery resources. Not to let myself have all the fun, I was very proud to see our student representative, Kat Gilles-Rector, attend the WDAFS student colloquium in Arizona this November. Speaking of November, as America’s votes were getting tallied, the chapter hosted a two-day anadromous run forecasting workshop in Portland. Building on the well-attended forecasting session at the 2012 meeting, the workshop brought a diverse group of scientists and managers together to present run forecasting issues in a more interactive setting. The workshop

attracted more than 60 people that afterward praised the informative presentations on new techniques and the opportunities for one-on-one interactions. Thanks to our ExCom members and natural production committee chair, Jens Lovtang, for realizing the chapter’s important mission of advancing scientific discourse on this important topic! So as you can see, we didn’t have much time to anticipate much of the holidays. So, I’m saving my holiday anticipation for the annual meeting. Because as chestnuts roasted…just when you’d think we’d take a break…President-Elect Todd Buchholz diligently assembled the program for what promises to be another excellent meeting in Bend. As you well know, the quality of our annual meeting is simply the sum of the parts we all play – lucky for you, there are plenty of ways to contribute. If you haven’t registered yet, consider checking the box to volunteer or judge student papers. Become more involved by attending a committee meeting, or volunteering to moderate a session. Consider showcasing your special talents and interests by making a donation to our raffle and auction. Whatever you decide, it’s your meeting – make the most of it! If you have any questions, please contact Todd Buchholz at [email protected] With that, I sincerely hope you enjoyed a wonderful holiday season with friends and family. I also hope you’ve saved some anticipation (and some raffle auction $$$) for the annual meeting. Can’t wait to see you all in Bend!

Jeff Yanke, President

www. orafs.org

mailto:[email protected]

2

P I S C A T O R I A L P R E S S

www. orafs.org

W I N T E R 2 0 1 3

Oregon Chapter of the American Fisheries Society

www.orafs.org

CHANGE OF ADDRESS & MEMBERSHIP APPLICATIONS:

To join or change address, go to www.fisheries.org and be sure to sign up for the Oregon

Chapter. Also visit www.orafs.org/membership to join our listserve and get other chapter information.

2012-2013 OREGON CHAPTER AFS EXECUTIVE

COMMITTEE OFFICERS (ORAFS EXCOM)

President: Jeff Yanke

541-426-3279; [email protected]

President-Elect: Todd Buchholz


Past-President: Colleen Fagan


Vice President: Bill Brignon


Secretary-Treasurer: Garth Wyatt


External Director: Shivonne Nesbit


Internal Director: Michele Weaver


Student Representative: Kat Gillies-Rector

[email protected]

EXTERNAL COMMITTEE CHAIRS

Education and Outreach: Karen Hans

541-757-4186 ext. 251; [email protected]

Fish Culture: Ryan Couture


Freshwater Habitat: Ian Reid


Legislative Committee: Jeremiah Osborne-Gowey


Marine Habitat and Ecology: Scott Heppell


Native Fish: Jim Capurso


Natural Production: Jens Lovtang


INTERNAL COMMITTEE CHAIRS

Awards: Colleen Fagan


Investments: Garth Wyatt


Scholarships: Scott Heppell


Resolutions and Bylaws: Bill Brignon


AFS / TWS Liaison: Laura Tesler


EXTERNAL SUPPORT PERSONNEL

Legislative Liaison: Sue Marshall, Trillium Consulting


Webmaster: Kara Anlauf-Dunn


INTERNAL SUPPORT PERSONNEL

Historian: Don Ratliff


Newsletter Editor: Allison Evans


Additional contact information (mailing addresses, fax numbers) for all officers, committee chairs, and support personnel are available at: http://orafs.org/contacts.htm

Oregon Chapter of the American Fisheries Society Mission

To improve the conservation and sustainability of Oregon fishery resources and their aquatic ecosystems for long-term public

benefit by advancing science, education, and public discourse concerning fisheries and aquatic science and by promoting the

development of fisheries professionals.

http://www.fisheries.org

http://www.orafs.org/membership

3

W I N T E R 2 0 1 3

www. orafs.org

The External Committees are gearing up for two important upcoming events: the ORAFS Annual Meeting in Bend and the 2013 Legislative session! Come join us to see what the chapter has been doing and how you can get involved! ORAFS Annual Meeting: Last year, we had a notable increase in participation at the committee meetings and we are looking forward to another round of productive committee meetings at the annual gathering in Bend. Please review the annual meeting agenda on page 15 and plan to attend any/all committee meetings that may interest you. You do not need to be a committee member to attend. If you can’t attend the annual meeting and would like to know what the committees are working on, please get in touch with the committee chair or myself. Committee chair names and contact information can be found on page 2. In addition to the regularly scheduled committee meetings, the newly formed Native Fish Committee is looking for its founding members! Please attend and be one of the first members of this committee. Want to know

what it’s all about? Check out the information about the committee and its plans on page 14. Legislative Session: We are currently working on a several different white papers to be introduced during the upcoming legislative session. The Freshwater Habitat Committee is putting together a paper on suction-dredge mining and can use some help drafting the paper. Please contact Ian Reid ([email protected]) if you are interested in getting involved. The Fish Culture Committee is working on a hatchery supplementation paper and could use some additional reviewers so please contact Ryan Couture ([email protected]). Thanks and hope to see you soon!

Shivonne Nesbit, External Director

E X T E R N A L D I R E C T O R ’ S R E P O R T

P I S C A T O R I A L P R E S S

2 0 1 3 O R E G O N C H A P T E R A N N U A L M E E T I N G : E X P E R T I S E A N D J U D G E S N E E D E D !

We want YOU to Volunteer

To Judge Student Papers and Posters!

Those of us in the society who were once students and have moved forward in our career are needed to critique and judge the student papers/posters presented at our chapter meeting.

Do you have public speaking experience at scientific conferences? Are you interested in providing feedback to our young professionals to

help them develop the skills they need to be successful? Do you remember how helpful it was to have advice from professionals

when you began your career? If you answered YES to any of these questions, then please sign up to judge student papers and posters at the Annual Meeting! If you are available to judge, an email will be sent out approximately a week before the conference with judging forms, instructions on scoring, and the papers you will be judging. Please contact [email protected] to sign up and to get additional information.




4

www. orafs.org

P I S C A T O R I A L P R E S S W I N T E R 2 0 1 3

FISHERY FIELD NOTES

In the late 1960’s adult fish passage above the Pelton Round Butte Dam hydropower dam complex on the Deschutes River ceased. With dams blocking the ability of fish to access their historic spawning grounds in the Crooked, Deschutes, and Metolius Rivers no one knew when or if anadromous fish would be in the upper basin again. Nearly 45 years later, on September 27th 2012, an Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) biologist observed a spawning sockeye in the Metolius River. While conducting annual kokanee spawning surveys in the Metolius River near the town of Camp Sherman, ODFW biologist Mike Gauvin spotted the fish. “I saw a flash of red color and saw the green tags which confirmed it was a sockeye”. Earlier in the summer this sockeye was captured at the adult fish trap located below the Pelton Round Butte Dam complex. It was given two green floy tags and a radio tag and then released above the dams to continue its migration. The green tags help to differentiate from the spawning kokanee and the radio tag allows Portland General Electric (PGE) biologists to track it movements through Lake Billy Chinook and up the river. During the 2012 run year, 86 sockeye were released above the dams. These fish had spent one or two years in the ocean prior to making their return to the Deschutes River basin. Additionally, 24 spring Chinook salmon and at the writing of this document, 39 summer steelhead have also been released above the dams. ODFW along with many stakeholders have been implementing a reintroduction program focused on reestablishing spring Chinook and sockeye salmon and summer steelhead populations in their historic areas above the dams. The reintroduction program began in 2007 by outplanting juvenile steelhead and Chinook in the Crooked, Deschutes, and Metolius River. ODFW releases over a million fry each year of both species. In attempts to reestablish a sockeye run in the Deschutes River Basin, kokanee exhibiting migratory behavior are allowed to migrate out of Lake Billy Chinook. All fish that enter the fish facility constructed by PGE and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, are captured, tagged, and transported to the lower Deschutes River below the dams, where they can continue their migration to the ocean. With the returning upper basin adults passed above the dams the fish are able to complete an anadromous life cycle. “The reintroduction program is a large, complex, and coordinated effort by many stakeholders, we are just in the beginning stages of this program, but it feels really good to see tangible results of our work” Gauvin said. Contributed by Mike Gauvin, ODFW

S P A W N I N G S O C K E Y E O B S E R V E D I N T H E M E T O L I U S R I V E R

Sockeye salmon observed in the Metolius River near Camp Sherman on September 27th 2012. Photo taken by Mike Gauvin - ODFW

Have you started or finished a unique restoration project? Have you recently begun or completed an interesting research project? Would the OR AFS membership benefit from hearing about your recent experiences or lessons learned?

If you answered “Yes”, then submit your story as one of our two member-driven features!

1) Fishery Features: summaries that include text and/or photos and are up to 2 pages in length. 2) Field Notes: can be as short as a photo with a caption or as long as a paragraph or two!

If you have something to share, submit a summary, along with photos. Send submissions to the Editor, Allison Evans at: [email protected] by March 15, 2013.

D O Y O U H A V E A S I M I L A R S T O R Y T O S H A R E ?

5

www. orafs.org

W I N T E R 2 0 1 3 P I S C A T O R I A L P R E S S

President-elect, Mike Gauvin I am honored to accept the nomination of President-Elect for the American Fisheries Society – Oregon Chapter (ORAFS). I have been involved with ORAFS either as an attendee, speaker, and convener at the local or national meeting for the past 14 years. I graduated from the University of Connecticut in 1995 and spent my early career working with the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection performing research in the marine environment and then with a consulting firm performing evaluations of upstream and downstream fish passage facilities. In 1998, I ventured west to work with the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon (Tribes), located in Central Oregon. During my tenure with the Tribes, I worked as the hydropower biologist during the relicensing of the largest hydropower project in Oregon and on other hydropower projects throughout the state. I also worked as their harvest manager implementing Tribal ceremonial fisheries on the Columbia River and developing run reconstructions and predictions on the Deschutes and Columbia Rivers. I was then promoted to the Fisheries Management Supervisor overseeing the harvest, production, and hydro programs. In 2008, I began working for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife coordinating the implementation of the protection, mitigation, and enhancement measures on the Pelton-Round Butte hydropower complex. I have been fortunate to have great jobs, work with great people, and have great opportunities. For several years, I have been involved in the planning of the annual meeting as the chairman of the imbibement committee. I quickly understood the passion and dedication that members of the Executive Committee have for this organization. I feel that this is the right time for me to help the Ex-Com and Chapter continue to be leaders in our fish world. The annual meeting is more than a place to come see some old friends and drink free beer, it provides an opportunity to share our knowledge, network with peers, and engage in continuing professional

development. ORAFS continues to be a strong voice on important environmental and ecological issues. On a national level the ORAFS is the standard by which other Chapters are judged. As your President-Elect I will work hard to continue this legacy. Cheers, Mike Vice-President, Kevin McDonnell Hello ORAFS! It’s a great honor to have been nominated for the Vice President position, but now I need to solicit votes from you fine folks. Since starting my graduate career I’ve been active with AFS as a meeting presenter, attendee, and workshop instructor. Those experiences have taught me how rewarding becoming involved with this organization can be. Now I believe the time has come for me to lend a hand in a bigger way. A bit about myself, I’m originally from Minnesota but got my undergraduate degree in Wildlife Ecology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2009 (On Wisconsin!). After a quick summer stint chasing bull trout in Montana, I found myself at Michigan State University where I earned my MS in Fisheries and Wildlife in 2011. In the fall of 2012 I started my PhD at Oregon State University working with the Oregon Cooperative Fisheries Research Unit. All my previous studies have all been in warm water lake systems, but for my PhD I’m shifting gears and entering the world of anadromous salmonids. Specifically, I’m interested in coastal salmonid management, modeling and quantitative decision analysis. So far, I’ve absolutely loved working in Oregon and getting to know this state, the people and its natural resources. As I mentioned, I’m hoping to get you all to cast your vote in my direction. Being a PhD student at Oregon State University puts me in a great position to oversee many of the duties of the Vice President, namely acting as a

Continued on pg 6

C A S T Y O U R V O T E F O R T H E E X C O M 2 0 1 3 C A N D I D A T E S !

V O T E A T T H E A N N U A L B U S I N E S S M E E T I N G , T H U R S , F E B 2 1 , 2 0 1 3

6

www. orafs.org

F A L L 2 0 1 1 P I S C A T O R I A L P R E S S W I N T E R 2 0 1 3

liaison to the fantastic student subunit and helping out with any other student initiatives. I also bring to the table a lot of the connections and experience I’ve gained serving as a co-president for the OSU Fisheries and Wildlife Graduate Student Association for the 2012-2013 school year. If elected, I plan to bring a lot of enthusiasm to the position and to put my skills to work. The Oregon chapter of AFS is known for the high level of participation and the quality of work that its members demonstrate and I look forward to contributing to that tradition. Thank you for your consideration and I hope to see everyone in February! Vice-President, Justin Huff After having been a commercial fisherman where I owned my salmon troller, as well as working on other vessels trolling for albacore tuna, crabbing, longlining for halibut and blackcod, participating in the live fish nearshore fishery, and gillnetting for salmon in Bristol Bay, Alaska I decided to go back to school and pursue my degree in a fisheries related field in an effort to give back to the fisheries that I had utilized for so many years both commercially and recreationally. In 2008 I finished my AAS degree in Fisheries Technology from Mt. Hood Community College, which I promptly followed up by completing my BS in Fisheries and Wildlife Science from Oregon State University (OSU) in 2012. While I was in school I worked as an intern at the Evergreen Fisheries Park in Vancouver, Washington, and the Amnis Opes Institute. I was also employed as undergraduate field and laboratory technician for the Klamath sucker lab under Dr. Doug Markle at OSU. For the last two summers I have worked as an Experimental Biology Aide (EBA) with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) on the Upper Willamette basin spring Chinook salmon project. I have also worked as an EBA radio tracking summer and winter steelhead and spring Chinook, and performing spawning ground surveys for fall Chinook and coho salmon with the CCRMP and OASIS projects with ODFW. As a former Student Liaison between the Oregon chapter of the American Fisheries Society (ORAFS) and fisheries students at OSU I was able to experience firsthand the interactions that needed to take place between the ORAFS Vice President, and the Student Liaison to develop a strong relationship with Oregon’s fisheries students. As the new ORAFS Vice President I would make it my goal to ensure that this relationship continues to be strengthened as I push to ensure that Oregon’s

fisheries students develop the necessary skills and relationships to become successful fisheries professionals in the future. External Director, Holly Huchko Hello colleagues! Thank you for the nomination for External Director (ED). I would be honored to step up and serve in one of the most active and leading chapters in AFS, if elected. I will work my hardest as ED to continue the excellent work done by our external committee members and hope to encourage and motivate some new members to participate in these committees. I graduated from Ball State University with a M.S. in Aquatic Biology and Fisheries working on yellow perch, round goby, and zebra mussels in Lake Michigan. My dream was to fish and live “out west”, so I left Chicagoland and headed for the hills. Currently, I work for Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife in Roseburg as the Assistant District Fish Biologist, and have previously worked on the Diamond Lake Restoration Project, and at Corvallis Research Lab on the OASIS project. I have also done seasonal jobs (and honed my fly fishing skills) living in the coolest places for the USFS in Montana and Idaho. I love living in the Umpqua for the fishing opportunities it provides, especially winter steelheading. I’ve been a fishery professional in Oregon since 2003, and wanted to get established before committing to run for an OR-AFS officer position. Now that I am settled, I am ready to take on the challenges of ED and feel that my skills in communication, organization, attention to detail and meeting deadlines can help me to excel as ED. Previously, I have always had an AFS presence in my career and have been involved in AFS at the state, regional, and national level as the North Central Division Student Representative, AFS Student Subsection Liaison, National Meeting volunteer, Indiana Annual Meeting Committee, Indiana Website Committee, Ball State University Subunit President, Ball State University Subunit Secretary, BSU Raffle Committee, and BSU Steering Committee for Student Fish and Wildlife Conference. One of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had professionally has been the ability to serve in various AFS chapters as an officer and to network with all the different folks involved in AFS. I would appreciate your vote and the opportunity to get to know and work with many of you as ED. Continued on pg 7

7

www. orafs.org


Internal Director, Michele Weaver Hi. My name is Michele Weaver and I would like to serve the Oregon Chapter AFS membership in the roll of Internal Director for a second term. After graduating from the University of Connecticut in 1995 with a degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology I started my fisheries career with the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection. I migrated west in 1997 and started working for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. I worked on many different projects within ODFW’s Columbia River Investigations Program between 1997 and 2012. This year I was promoted into the ESA Specialist position in the Salem ODFW office and I am excited to start a new chapter in my fisheries career. I am a member of AFS and have been involved in various capacities since attending my first meeting in 2002. I have presented multiple posters and talks, I was the raffle/auction chair, the poster session chair, and held the office of Secretary/Treasurer. I feel the experiences I have had with AFS are invaluable and would like the opportunity to continue my involvement. I have learned a tremendous amount during my first term as Internal Director and am excited to put that knowledge to work. I believe during this past year that I have demonstrated I have the skills and abilities needed to perform the duties of this position and would very much appreciate your vote of confidence in electing me to serve as Internal Director for a second term. Secretary-Treasurer, Garth Wyatt Hello Oregon AFS! My name is Garth Wyatt and I’d like to continue to serve as your ORAFS secretary/treasurer in 2013/14. Let me first introduce myself to those who don’t know me. I grew up on the beautiful palisade known as Madras along the

Deschutes River where I cut my teeth on wild steelhead, pheasants, and big bull trout. Like many of my fellow fish heads I earned my BS in fisheries science from Oregon State University. After graduation I began my seasonal round of temporary positions working with DEQ assisting in the coastal estuary monitoring and assessment program, then onto ODFW conducting hatchery/wild steelhead interaction surveys on the Nestucca River and the Northern Pikeminnow monitoring project. My big break came when I landed a biologist position with the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs coordinating/conducting monitoring and evaluation activities for the Hood River Production Program. Over the last 5 ½ years I’ve worked as a fish biologist for Portland General Electric on the Clackamas River. My position has afforded me the opportunity to work on a diverse array of projects from monitoring resident coastal cutthroat trout in old growth laden headwater streams to adult Chinook telemetry studies the mainstem Clackamas to juvenile salmonid injury/mortality studies at Willamette Falls. Lately I’ve been playing engineer during the fish facility design process and implementing a new task tracking software. Along the way I managed to pick up some relevant secretary/treasurer tasks such as data base management, budgeting, task tracking, and integrating new notes forms/ templates/action items as the safety committee chair. In the last year as the secretary/treasurer my note taking skills have been honed and I’ve now graduated to sort of knowing what the heck I’m supposed to be doing….. I’d like to continue to volunteer for the chapter that has helped me to become the biologist I am today (and I still owe the chapter AT LEAST one more keg worth of free labor). So please vote Garth Wyatt for ORAFS 2013/2014 secretary/treasurer.

How can I cast my vote for ExCom Officers?

Voting for your chapter ExCom officers will occur at the Business Meeting during the Annual Meet-ing in Bend on Thursday, Febru-ary 21 at 1:45PM, following the Awards Luncheon.

8

www. orafs.org

F A L L 2 0 1 1 P I S C A T O R I A L P R E S S W I N T E R 2 0 1 3

Join us in Bend for another spectacular get together of fisheries professionals where we will explore the many facets of “Building Partnerships and Community between Fish and Folks”. From the kick-off plenary session to the last contributed paper, we’ll share experiences, network and create new partnerships to better serve our communities.

Student –Mentor

Mixer Sign up to be a mentor when you register! All attendees who regis-ter as students are invited and en-couraged to attend this great op-portunity to mix it up with the pros! Contact Bill Brignon at [email protected] for more info.

Register at:

www.Orafs.org

STAY: A block of rooms has been set aside at the Riverhouse Hotel & Convention Center.

For room reservation information call 866-453-4480 and ask for

the AFS rate!

9

www. orafs.org


2 0 1 3 O R E G O N C H A P T E R A N N U A L M E E T I N G : O V E R V I E W & E V E N T S A T A G L A N C E

J O I N U S I N B E N D , F E B . 1 9 - 2 2 , 2 0 1 3

THEME: We’ll pick up where we ended in Eugene in 2012, “Weaving Fish into the Social Fabric” by carrying that momentum to Bend in 2013 where we will explore the many facets of “Building Partnerships and Community between Fish and Folks”. Let’s share what we’ve been doing to weave the warp of science and the woof of society to create effective partnerships and support collaborative efforts that meet our Chapter’s mission: “… to improve the conservation and sustainability of Oregon fishery resources and their aquatic ecosystems for long-term public benefit by advancing science, education and public discourse concerning fisheries and aquatic science and by promoting the development of fisheries professionals”. The program committee welcomes you to join us and share your technical expertise, results from your research, and how you’re working with people to implement the latest fishery science. As always, the meeting will offer a great plenary session, networking opportunities, educational workshops, trade show vendors, student-mentor mixer, and lots of fun social events. We’ll continue to respect your budgets and provide these services at the lowest possible cost to maximize participation. CONCURRENT SESSIONS! We plan to have sessions on fish culture, recovery planning, marine issues, lamprey, bull trout, Klamath Basin fisheries issues, watershed council/collaborations and many more. See page 16 for the technical session schedule! WORKSHOPS! We are having three this year addressing: Fisheries Monitoring, Effective Public Speaking, and, for those who like to get wet, Fly Fishing. See page 11 for the workshop details!

COVER ART CONTEST! The winner of this year’s program cover art is Armon Barrows, an art teacher living outside of Denver, Colorado. Check out Armon’s art work on the printable meeting flyer on page 8! Thanks Armon, lovely work! POSTER SESSION, TRADE SHOW AND FISH JAM SOCIAL: The ever popular poster session and trade show social will once again be a great way to interact with your peers and colleagues. Interactive poster displays will provide for great conversation, and, of course, northwest craft brews will lubricate the flow of great ideas and solutions, all the while serenaded by acoustical renditions from the ORAFS Fish Jammers (all Chapter acoustical musicians are encouraged to participate in this informal jam session). Visit with local and nationally-recognized vendors of fishery equipment and services at the trade show displays. STUDENT-MENTOR MIXER FEBURARY 20, 6- 7:30 PM: We’ll continue the tradition of the student-mentor mixer before the poster and trade show social. Students from all Oregon schools and universities are welcome to participate. Mentors are encouraged to volunteer (check the box) while registering for the annual meeting. AWARDS LUNCHEON & BUSINESS MEETING FEBURARY 21 NOON-1:45PM: Join us to recognize the award-winning work of our colleagues, learn about ways to volunteer in ORAFS, all while chowing down on a quality lunch. We will have a really cool raffle item up for grabs during the business meeting, and you must be present to win, so join us for a quorum and take home something special! STUDENT OPPORTUNITIES There are ample opportunities for students to be involved every aspect of the annual meeting. We welcome students

Continued on page 10

Feb 19 Tuesday

Feb 20 Wednesday

Feb 21 Thursday

Feb 22 Friday

Workshops (pg 11)

Workshops (pg 11) Plenary Session (pg 10) Technical Sessions (pg 16) Poster Session & Trade Show Social (below & pg 12, & pg 15)

Technical Sessions (pg 16) Awards Luncheon (below & pg 17) Business Meeting (below) Raffle & Auction (pg 10 & pg 13) Banquet, Dancing, and Texas Hold’em (pg 10)

Technical Sessions (pg 16)

10

2 0 1 3 O R E G O N C H A P T E R A N N U A L M E E T I N G : O V E R V I E W & E V E N T S A T A G L A N C E ( C O N T I N U E D )

J O I N U S I N B E N D , F E B . 1 9 - 2 2 , 2 0 1 3

to present papers, display posters, compete for awards, meet mentors, and network with other students and professionals. Participation of college students from all Oregon schools and universities is encouraged! In addition, students can save big by volunteering assistance to the ORAFS in trade for free lodging. See page 14 for more information about volunteering in exchange for lodging. BANQUET, RAFFLE AND AUCTION FEBURARY 21, 6:30-11:00 PM Your ExCom visited with Chef Bob of the River House to insure that this year’s banquet will be a gastronomical delight, not the subject of gastronomical disorders and twitter posts. We were very emphatic that dinner would not only be very eatable and digestible, but really, really tasty too! We’re pretty darn confident that you will be pleased with the banquet dinner…..so pleased in fact that we’ll all loosen up that auction arm with a few more northwest craft brews and whip out the plastic during the raffle in support

of our Chapter! Party down after the banquet with music provided by Bend’s own Moon Mountain Ramblers. And if that isn’t enough to shake some dollars loose for a good cause, bring your poker face along for our Texas Hold’em event. The raffle and auction promises to be a huge success! See page 13 to preview a very special, handcrafted item up for raffle! Interested in what else is up for action or how you can contribute? See page 13 for additional information. Members: Please consider showcasing your special talents and interests by making a donation to our raffle and auction. Monetary donations are also gratefully accepted. Thanks! REGISTRATION Registration for the Annual Meeting is open! Register at www.oraf.org. Banquet meals are priced at $35, same as last year. See page 12 for more registration information.


Absentee Oregon Chapter member Amy Unthank will be in Bend to warm up the meeting with a journey through the evolution of partnerships from the perspective of a fisheries biologist who started her conservation career as a volunteer with Seattle Audubon Society during the growing controversy over disappearing Old Growth forest, followed by the start of a professional career in 1987 with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, moving to the U.S. Forest Service in 1989, including the “W” tour on the Wallowa-Whitman, Willamette, and Wenatchee National Forests before landing in the southwest in 2001 as the regional fish manager, and now serving as the fishery program leader in Washington D.C. Amy was the Arizona-New Mexico AFS Chapter President in 2008, and also serves on the board of Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics.

2 0 1 3 O R E G O N C H A P T E R A N N U A L M E E T I N G :

P L E N A R Y : T H E L O N G R O A D O F P A R T N E R S H I P S – W H E R E H A V E W E B E E N , W H E R E T O N E X T ?

W E D N E S D A Y , F E B R U A R Y 2 0 T H

1 : 0 0 P M

11

www. orafs.org


Fly Fishing Workshop When: Feb 19, 1:00pm - 5:00pm; Where: The Riverhouse, Bend, OR Instructor: Jeff Perin, Fly Fisher’s Place, Sisters, OR Description: Whether you’re new to the art, or a long time practitioner, come join us for an afternoon of fly fishing, brought to you by Jeff Perin, owner of the Fly Fisher’s Place in Sisters ,Oregon. Jeff and his trusty assistant will mix classroom and time in the water to hone those rusty or non-existent skills. Depending the level and abilities of the participants, the class may be split into novices and more advanced anglers. In the Novice group we will cover the basics of fly casting, going over matching rods with line, grip, hand, wrist and arm position and cover the plane, arc, timing and tempo of casting. During this time we would cover a pickup and lay down, roll casts, false cast and shooting line. In the more advanced class we would cover more advanced casting including a snap-T (an adaptation of spey casting for single hand rods), a Belgium Loop, Wiggle Cast, Parachute Cast and Reach Mends. Bring your waders and we’ll see you at the River (house)!

Speaking of Science: how to avoid the snares and sand traps of public

speaking When: Feb 19, 1:00pm - 5:00pm Where: The Riverhouse, Bend, OR Instructor: Janine Castro, Geomorphologist, USFWS & NMFS Description: If the thought of getting up in front of an audience makes you shudder, join the crowd! According to many somewhat dubious internet polls, public speaking is the number one human fear. And yet public speaking is defined as speaking to a group of four or more people. Hence, you are a public speaker more than you may realize. Given this seemingly natural fear, it is not surprising that delivering a presentation at large, or even small, science gatherings can be frightening, overwhelming, and intimidating, but it can also be extremely rewarding and gratifying. On very few occasions do we, as scientists, technical experts and project managers, get to reach out to dozens or hundreds of our colleagues in a single session. Make the most of your moment on stage. If you would like to improve your public speaking skills, please join me for a half-day session on making your presentation interesting and effective, while also reducing your stress and actually enjoying the experience. Participants will leave the workshop with a greater skill set to develop and deliver presentations and will have a completely optional opportunity to practice a presentation in class. The workshop is interactive and builds on the collective experience of the audience and the instructor.

Field data collection methods and a survey of tools: ”How many methods does it take to monitor large wood?”

When: Feb 19, 1:00pm - 5:00pm and February 20, 8-Noon Where: The Riverhouse, Bend, OR Instructors: Jacque Schei, PNAMP and Matt Deniston, Sitka Technology Group Description: Documenting the details of your monitoring program, from design to methods, can be an overwhelming experience for already taxed aquatic resource managers. Luckily, monitoring tools are evolving to help reduce redundancy, streamline the documentation process, and enable online collaboration. One such tool, MonitoringMethods.org, guides people through documenting their methods and protocols so that they can be shared with others. MonitoringMethods.org has been in use for over two years and content has grown to a point that we can see trends in method documentation, including instances which highlight what seem to be redundant techniques currently in use in the region. Are these methods really documenting different techniques and if so, why? How can we use new tools and technologies to gain a better understanding of the similarities and differences between methodologies implemented in the region? We will: 1) demonstrate how MonitoringMethods.org can inform and support the review of a particular method or set of methods, seek to identify best practices and promote consistent documentation by combining or eliminating similar methods in the system, and 2) showcase MonitoringMethods.org and other monitoring data management tools designed to help collect, quality check, analyze, and synthesize aquatic and terrestrial monitoring data - from field observations to high level indicators. In the first part of this workshop, the Pacific Northwest Aquatic Monitoring Partnership (PNAMP) will use two examples of sets of methods (large wood and fish length) to demonstrate how MonitoringMethods.org provides not only a tool to document protocols and methods but also informs and sustains collaboration about methods. In addition, we ask participants to engage in an investigation of how monitoring practitioners use different methods to generate the same metric, determine if the different methods are really describing the same methodology, and try to come to a consensus about best practices. Participants will discuss the utility of generic method documentation and learn how to use the Discussion Board to participate in future method reviews. In the second part of this workshop, Sitka Technology Group will walk us through a few other tools designed to help monitoring practitioners, and ask for your input on some

Continued on page 12

2 0 1 3 O R E G O N C H A P T E R A N N U A L M E E T I N G : A T T E N D O N E O F T H R E E W O R K S H O P S !

12


The 2013 Annual Meeting will feature ample space for vendor exhibits, each about 8x10 ft, arranged within the Exhibit Hall of the Conference Center, at the Riverhouse Hotel in Bend. This area is where all coffee breaks will be served. It is also where the Poster Session and Trade Show Social will be hosted Wednesday evening and the Awards Lunch and Business Meeting will be held Thursday. You will have excellent exposure to our 400+ audience. Locations will be selected on a 1st-come basis at the meeting. Cost for the display space, table, 2 chairs, wastebasket and meeting registration is $450, $150 for non-profits. People staffing the exhibit must register for their space (includes business lunch) using the meeting registration form. There is no additional cost to register for the meeting. To reserve your space, register for the meeting at: www.orafs.org and select the “Vendor Exhibit” option on the form. Questions? Contact: Colleen Fagan ([email protected], 541-962-1835).

2 0 1 3 O R E G O N C H A P T E R A N N U A L M E E T I N G : V E N D O R S : R E S E R V E N O W T O E X H I B I T A T T H E

2 0 1 3 A N N U A L M E E T I N G I N B E N D !

ideas for additional tools. We’ll introduce you to MonitoringResources.org - a place where monitoring practitioners can easily document once and share many times, a place with some new tools for managing and sharing your monitoring locations and creating GRTS sample designs. We’ll also take you through the flow of data management tools used by CHaMP: a web tool that helps crews preps for field season, handheld devices for collecting habitat measurements, then back to the web tool for data quality checks and automatic generation of metrics. You’ll see conceptual and visual overviews of these tools and the data flows they support, learn how they work, which problems

they’ve solved (or partially solved), and how their approaches might help in your monitoring endeavors. You’ll get candid conclusions about what we’ve learned so far and where the tools have fallen short. We intend to carry on the conversation about large wood methods into larger forums and continue to foster more common, shared practices. With your help, we’d like to leave the workshop with ideas for improvements to the tools we showcase. We hope you will leave this workshop with a slightly improved outlook on your monitoring lives, and some specific ideas and techniques to try out.

2 0 1 3 O R E G O N C H A P T E R A N N U A L M E E T I N G : A T T E N D O N E O F T H R E E W O R K S H O P S ! ( C O N T )

Registration for the 2013 ORAFS Annual Meeting is available online now. The rates for General Registration are $185 for members, $235 for non-members, $50 for students, $150 for retired members and $175 for retired non-members. The General Registration fee includes access to all technical sessions and social events including the poster and tradeshow social, the awards lunch (don’t forget to select your meal option when you register), the raffle and auction, the ODFW/OSU sponsored social, and more. The banquet dinner is $35 and Texas-Hold'em is $25. Click here to register . You can visit our website, www.orafs.org for the latest information and to access the registration form. If, after checking the website, you have any 2013 Annual Meeting registration questions, please contact Garth Wyatt at [email protected], 503-630-8231.

2 0 1 3 O R E G O N C H A P T E R A N N U A L M E E T I N G : R E G I S T E R N O W ! ! !


https://www.123signup.com/register?id=sxcrx

http://www.orafs.org


13


The ORAFS counts on donations to, and proceeds from, the Raffle and Auction to help fund our scholarship programs and keep meeting fees low. For donors, it’s a great way to advertise products and services to our large but targeted audience. Plus, it’s a fun part of the Banquet. Some of the most popular items in past years have been fish art, prints, handmade items, guided fishing trips, outdoor gear, professional fisheries gear, books, and fine beverages. Please consider donating, or contacting your favorite local vendors to gather donations.

S H O W O F F A N D S H A R E Y O U R P R O D U C T S , S E R V I C E S ,

E X P E R I E N C E , A R T A N D O T H E R S K I L L S !

To Donate or Assist, Contact: Luke Whitman ([email protected]) or Nik Zymonas ([email protected])

S E E K I N G R A F F L E A N D A U C T I O N D O N A T I O N S !

How’s that fishing rod stash of yours? Need a boost in the quality department? Are you yearning for a light 'weight' , high modulus, top of the line component strewn, ORAFS badged, OSU Beaver themed, side-drifting stick? Well luckily for you the Oregon Chapter is proud to present one of the finest spinning rods ever built. This rod was designed with side-drifting/ bobber-dogging from a boat in mind. The vitals are listed below: 9’ 6” North Fork Composites blank (Gary Loomis’s new company) Fuji SK2 split spinning real seat Rear Split Grip for increased sensitivity and wieght reduction PacBay TiChrome Spinning Guide, excellent for braided line

application The manufacturers suggested retail price is $525.00! Plan to buy multiple raffle tickets for this special raffle event to increase your chances of winning this fine rod built by Eric Martin! The rod is 9’6” for 6-10 lb. test line with split cork grips and an OR AFS logo above the handle and an Oregon State University Beavers logo between the two grips. This rod is truly one-of-a-kind, made possible by generous donation of time and materials! Don’t forget purchase tickets for this special raffle and this fine rod could be yours!


R A F F L E M E T H I S ! A S N E A K P E E K O F W H A T ’ S A V A I L A B L E I N T H I S

Y E A R ’ S R A F F L E / A U C T I O N



14

www. orafs.org


The initial meeting of the Native Fish Committee of the Oregon Chapter American Fisheries Society will be held

after the “Native Fish Biology and Conservation” session

on, February 21st at 4 PM. Everyone (that includes students, researchers, managers, professionals, technicians, etc.) is welcome to participate and no fees will be charged to join the committee. The business will be enhancing the understanding and conservation of Oregon’s Native Fish, with an emphasis on non-game native fish. James Capurso will serve as the initial Committee Chair. YOU are needed to develop the committee’s 2013 work plan. That plan will include a 2 day field trip scheduled this summer and open to all, with presentations and field observations featuring a non-game native fish. This is an opportunity for a mutual learning environment while helping to conserve Oregon’s native fish.

2 0 1 3 O R E G O N C H A P T E R A N N U A L M E E T I N G : G O N A T I V E ! J O I N T H E N E W E S T E X T E R N A L

C O M M I T T E E : N A T I V E F I S H

Oregon chub, Photo courtesy of USFWS

ATTENTION STUDENTS: H E L P O R A F S H E L P Y O U !

V O L U N T E E R A T T H E O R A F S A N N U A L M E E T I N G How would you like to earn free lodging at the Oregon Chapter of the American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting in Bend? We are looking for professional, trustworthy student workers to assist with a variety of logistical support tasks including:

Audio/video support (PowerPoint and lights) in presentation rooms

Assembling and distributing attendee packets before the meeting

Providing directions and information to meeting attendees

Assisting with the raffle and auction

Setting up and taking down poster boards and presentations

Slinging T-shirts and other sweet gear at the sales table By volunteering, you will be serving the noble cause of fisheries conservation, expanding your fisheries knowledge, and networking with potential employers and future colleagues. But wait, that’s not all. You will also be compensated with complimentary group lodging for your labor while still having plenty of time to attend technical presentations and enjoy social events! To sign up as a student volunteer simply register for the meeting as a student and check the volunteer box.

Questions contact: Bill Brignon, ORAFS Vice President at [email protected] or (503) 239-5133

15

www. orafs.org



Date/Time Event Room

Tuesday, February 19

7:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Tradeshow Display Set-up Exhibit Hall

10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Registration / Information Lobby

1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Workshops (3) Cascade C, D

3:00 p.m. – 3:20 p.m. Coffee and Refreshment Service Lobby

5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Workshop Social Cascade C, D Wednesday, February 20

7:00 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. Registration / Information / Sales Desk Open Lobby 7:00 a.m. – Noon Coffee and Refreshment Service Lobby

8:00 a.m. – Noon Workshops (1) Cascade C, D

8:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Tradeshow Display Set-up Exhibit Hall

12:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Poster Session Set-up Exhibit Hall

1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Plenary, Keynote Presentation Ballroom

2:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Break & Refreshment Service Exhibit Hall

2:30 p.m. – Midnight Tradeshow Exhibit Hall

3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Concurrent Sessions (4)

5:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. Legislative Fish Culture, Marine Habitat and Ecology External Committee Meetings

6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Student-Mentor Mixer Cascade CD

8:00 p.m. – 12:00 p.m. Poster Session and Tradeshow Social Exhibit Hall

10:00 p.m. – Midnight Acoustic Jam Session Exhibit Hall Thursday, February 21

7:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Registration / Information / Sales Desk Open Lobby

7:30 a.m. – 8:00 a.m. Coffee and Refreshment Service Exhibit Hall

8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Posters on Display Exhibit Hall 8:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Tradeshow Exhibit Hall

8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Concurrent Sessions (4)

10:00 a.m. – 10:20 a.m. Break & Refreshment Service Exhibit Hall

10:20 a.m. – 12:20 p.m. Concurrent Sessions (4)

12:30 p.m. – 1:45 p.m. Awards Luncheon (no charge), Professional Awards, Scholarship Awards

Exhibit Hall

1:45 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. OR AFS Business Meeting Exhibit Hall

2:45 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Break & Refreshment Service Exhibit Hall

3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Concurrent Sessions (4)

4:40 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. Natural Production, Freshwater Habitat, Education and Outreach, Native Fishes External Committee Meetings

5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. ODFW/OSU Sponsored Mixer Exhibit Hall

6:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. Banquet social, check out the auction items Ballroom

6:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Silent Auction Ballroom

6:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Banquet, Awards, Oral Auction, Raffle Ballroom

9:00 p.m. – 12:30 a.m. Dancing with The Moon Mt Ramblers Ballroom

9:00 p.m. – 12:30 a.m. Texas Hold’em Fundraiser Ballroom Friday, February 22

7:00 a.m. – Noon Registration / Information / Sales Desk Open Lobby 7:30 a.m. – 8:00 a.m. Coffee and Refreshment Service Exhibit Hall

7:30 a.m. – 10:20 a.m. Tradeshow Exhibit Hall

7:30 a.m. – 10:20 a.m. Posters on Display Exhibit Hall

8:00 a.m. – 9:40 a.m. Concurrent Sessions (4)

09:40 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Break & Refreshment Service Exhibit Hall

10:00 a.m. – Noon Concurrent Sessions (4)

10:30 a.m. – Noon Tradeshow and Poster Take-Down Exhibit Hall

16

www. orafs.org


2 0 1 3 O R E G O N C H A P T E R A N N U A L M E E T I N G : T E C H N I C A L S E S S I O N S ( F E B 2 0 - 2 2 )

Start Time

Session Titles

Wednesday, February 20

1:00 p.m. Plenary – Ballroom

2:30 p.m. Break

3:00 p.m.

Fish Culture and the Wild Places

Coast Range and Cutthroat

Motion of the Ocean

Recovering Salmon

6:00 p.m. Student-Mentor Mixer – Cascade CD

8:00 p.m. Poster Session and Tradeshow Social – Exhibit Hall

8:00 p.m. Acoustic Jam Session – Exhibit Hall

Thursday, February 21

8:00 a.m.

Of Screens and Passage Restoring Our Fish

Habitats Natural Production

Fish that Aren’t Chinook or Lamprey

10:00 a.m. Break

10:20 a.m.

River Worms: The Life and Times of Lamprey

Lake and Reservoir Fish Management

Watershed Stewardship:

Getting Communities

Involved


12:00 p.m. Awards Luncheon (no charge) - Professional and Scholarship Awards – Exhibit Hall

1:45 p.m. OR AFS Business Meeting – Exhibit Hall

2:45 p.m. Break

3:00 p.m.

River Worms: The

Life and Times of Lamprey

Lake and Reservoir Fish Management

Watershed Stewardship:

Getting Communities

Involved


5:00 p.m. ODFW/OSU Sponsored Mixer – Exhibit Hall

6:00 p.m. Banquet Social – Ballroom

6:00 p.m. Silent Auction – Ballroom

6:30 p.m. Banquet, Awards, Oral Auction, Raffle – Ballroom

9:00 p.m. Texas Hold’em Fundraiser – Ballroom

9:00 p.m. Entertainment – Live Band – Ballroom

Friday February 22

8:30 a.m. Run Forecasts,

Migration and Survival Challenges

Monitoring:

PNAMP Macroinvertebrates and

Fish Habitat Quality

Of Weirs and Passage

Models, Math and Monitoring

10:10 a.m. Break

10:30 a.m. Many

Things

Steelhead

Monitoring:

PNAMP Macroinvertebrates and

Fish Habitat Quality

Of Weirs and Passage

Many

Things

Chinook

17

www. orafs.org


As you become snow bound and relegated to the office or the classroom, it is a good time to reflect not only on your accomplishments over the past year, but also on those of your peers. There are so many folks out there doing outstanding work, it is time to recognize them! You can now nominate them for an award to be presented at this year’s annual meeting. You know who these people are...the hardworking peer, the inspirational mentor, the energetic teacher, the partner from another agency, the private landowner who worked so hard to do that great habitat work, or the team who overcame great obstacles to accomplish something unique. Now is a great time to start putting your thoughts on paper so you will have plenty of time to refine your nomination before the due date of January 25, 2013. For all awards except Broken Oar, you should indicate how the nominee’s efforts are above and beyond their regular job. All awards are discretionary- none are required to be given each year. All awards are limited to one recipient per year, except for Awards of Merit where multiple recipients may be rewarded within a year. Fishery Worker of the Year This is the Chapter’s most prestigious individual award. Nominees must be AFS members in good standing who are responsible for substantial single or sustained accomplishments above and beyond their regular job, often spanning many years. Nominations should indicate how efforts are related to the goals of guiding and influencing sound resource practices. Fishery Team of the Year This award recognizes outstanding teams that merit acknowledgement for excellent work beyond an Award of Merit. The stringent award criteria are similar to the Fishery Worker of the Year, but for team efforts. This award recognizes the collaborative efforts to understand and manage fisheries resources, and that these efforts frequently cross geographic, disciplinary and socioeconomic boundaries. At least one nominee of the team must be an AFS member in good standing. The team or group must have been responsible for substantial single or sustained accomplishments. Each member of the team nominated must have produced a substantial

portion of the work. Nominations should indicate how they are related to the goals of guiding or influencing sound resource practices. To demonstrate equivalent contributions, describe substantive contributions of each member of the team. Award of Merit This award recognizes individuals, groups, or organizations that have made special contributions, above and beyond normal job requirements, to fisheries science or the American Fisheries Society over one or more years. Successful nominees display evidence of creativity, cooperation and results. Nominees do not need to be AFS members. Bill Wingfield Memorial Award in Fish Culture Nominees should be individuals or groups that have contributed significantly to advancing fish culture (including fish health) in Oregon. AFS members or non-members may be nominated. Broken Oar Award Everyone’s favorite award, and just for fun, the Broken Oar Award is presented for “outstanding display of field technique and coordination.” No doubt you already have some nominees in mind from this year’s field season! AFS members or non-members may be nominated. Full description of awards criteria, suggestions about how to write nominations, and the nomination form are all posted on the ORAFS website at: http://orafs.org/awards/ or can be obtained by contacting the Awards Chair, Colleen Fagan (541-962-1835 or [email protected])

DEADLINE FOR NOMINATIONS HAS BEEN

EXTENDED TO: January 25, 2013.

S E C O N D C A L L F O R A W A R D N O M I N A T I O N S

N O M I N A T E A D E S E R V I N G C O L L E A G U E T O D A Y !

http://orafs.org/awards/


18

www. orafs.org


During the mid to late 1970s and early 1980s, the Stream Habitat Committee was one of the most active of the Chapter’s external committees. “Riparians need water too!” was a slogan on their silly paper badges worn proudly at annual meetings - to get people thinking. In the mid-1970s, the word “riparian” was not part of the vocabulary of most Oregonians, or even most biologists. It was a time of major transition, both in knowledge of how streams function and in how land-management agencies and private landowners viewed and took care of their resources. One of the major federal drivers of change was the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Signed into law by President Richard Nixon on January 1, 1970, the new law required Environmental Assessments, and in some cases Environmental Impact Statements and the review of alternatives to status-quo federal management plans. It took a while to be fully implemented. However, to comply with the new law, land-management agencies eventually hired professional fish and wildlife biologists to help evaluate the potentially-affected resources of management alternatives, and to evaluate potential impacts from and alternatives to proposed federal actions. During this era, far-sighted individuals started identifying

the benefit to streams of different grazing strategies including, in some cases, riparian fencing. Dick Herrig and Harold Winegar of ODFW had fenced a short, incised reach of Camp Creek, an ephemeral tributary to the upper Crooked River in 1966. In 1973, after 7 years of protection, the stream-bed itself had aggraded several feet in elevation, and it began flowing year-around! Jim Newton of ODFW monitored a fencing project on Ramsay Creek, tributary to 15-mile Creek in Wasco County. Other fencing projects occurred in the John Day Basin and segments of the Deschutes. These all demonstrated remarkable recovery of riparian vegetation, and the building of stable stream banks. Members of the Stream Habitat Committee used these examples to press for better management of stream corridors on public lands throughout the state, but especially east of the Cascades. They also began educational efforts to help protect streams on private lands. Oregon Senate Bill 397, The Nation’s First Riparian Protection Tax-Incentive Law In 1980 - 1981, The Chapter’s Stream Habitat and Legislative committees teamed up with Nancy “Ned” Duhnkrack of the Oregon Wilderness Coalition to draft

H I S T O R Y ’ S M Y S T E R I E S : “ R I P A R I A N S N E E D W A T E R T O O ! ”

Efforts of the OR AFS Stream Habitat and Legislative Committees in the Late 1970s and early 1980s to Protect Oregon’s Streams

The Riverhouse 3075 N. Business 97,

Bend, OR 97701

ORAFS has reserved a block of rooms at the River-house with a special rate within government per diem limits. The block of rooms & special rate are avail-able now, and will be held through January 18, 2013, or until sold out. After this date, any remaining rooms will be opened to the general public, and Riverhouse cannot guarantee that the special rate can be granted. The Riverhouse is a great place to stay with scenic views of the Deschutes River and numerous amenities. Enjoy a complementary full meal breakfast, indoor and outdoor heated pools and spas, an exercise room, and a scenic river trail to name just a few.

To reserve a room at the Riverhouse, call the reservations line at (800) 547-3928 or the direct number at (541) 389-3111. Rooms at the AFS rate cannot be booked online at this time. Reference the group block for the Oregon Chapter AFS. There are multiple room types available within the AFS block. The Riverhouse cancellation policy is that any reservation cancelled within 7 days of arrival will be assessed a fee equal to one night hotel room plus taxes. The Riverhouse is located on the north end of Bend, on North Business 97. Their website is www.riverhouse.com. If the room block at the Riverhouse is sold out, the over-flow hotel is the Shilo Inn. It is located next door to the Riv-erhouse & should be able to accommodate government per diem rates if you call their front desk (541-389-9600) and reference the AFS meeting.

W H E R E T O S T A Y : L O D G I N G D E T A I L S F O R T H E A N N U A L M E E T I N G

http://www.riverhouse.com

19

www. orafs.org


and support Senate Bill 397. The idea of proposing legislation was stimulated by the emerging science demonstrating the importance of riparian areas to healthy aquatic habitats and fish populations. Oregon AFS members organized and drafted legislation in late 1980. It was introduced in the Oregon Senate in early 1981 with Senate and House committee hearings throughout the summer of 1981. Chapter members provided the scientific basis, economic analysis, grass-roots political support, lobbying, and testimony. The Bill was unique in its broad appeal to both urban, liberal legislators and rural conservatives. ORAFS credibility as a scientific, non-political organization was important to the success. A key element grabbing the attention of legislators was the visual effect achieved by a side by side slide show presented at legislative committee hearings, visually depicting the amazing results of riparian protection recently documented. SB 397 was signed into state law by Governor Vic Atiyeh in August 1981. It begins with, “The Legislative Assembly declares that it is in the best interest of the State to maintain, preserve, conserve and rehabilitate riparian lands to assure the protection of the soil, water, fish and wildlife resources of the State for the economic and social well-being of the State and its citizens.” The legislation included a full property tax exemption for riparian lands, up to 100 feet in width, and a separate, 25% tax credit for costs incurred in improvements to fish habitat. The inclusion of a sunset clause required the Chapter to return to Salem in 1989 to successfully testify

for its continuance. The resulting Riparian Tax Incentive Program has been administered by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. The major benefit of the program has been educational rather than the direct influence of the Program on protection of Oregon streams. This is because participation in the Program has been low, probably because tax incentives were allowed only on low-taxed agricultural and forest lands, and not riparian lands within higher-taxed urban growth boundaries. However, this law and other Chapter efforts raised public and political awareness of the importance of stream protection and the link between wise land stewardship and healthy streams and fisheries. These early efforts by the ORAFS Stream Habitat and Legislative Committees played a key role in developing awareness among key leaders and decision makers in Oregon laying the foundation for the present programs in watershed-level conservation and stewardship. Major players in these early Chapter efforts at stream protection included Jim Newton, John Anderson, Steve Smith, John Andrews, Dave Buchanan, Errol Claire, Henry Stewart, Gordon Haugen, Bob Phillips, Carl McLemore, Fred Everest, Art Oakley, Bob Hughes, and many, many others. Compiled from abstracts of presentations at the 2004 Annual Meeting, foggy memories, and History files by Don Ratliff, Historian

H I S T O R Y ’ S M Y S T E R I E S : “ R I P A R I A N S N E E D W A T E R T O O ! ”

( C O N T I N U E D )

Do you have something newsworthy to share? Submissions from ORAFS members are welcome!

Do you have an update on interesting work you would like to share with the membership? Are you interested in providing a Fishery Feature or Field Note to tell the membership about your recent project? Would you like to

contribute an editorial to our Members’ Musings section?

If so, please submit you story or thoughts to Allison Evans at: [email protected] deadlines for news items are: March 15; June 15; Sept.15; and Dec. 15.

The newsletter is published approximately two weeks after submissions are received.

Submissions used as time and space allows

P I S C A T O R I A L P R E S S G U I D E L I N E S

& C A L L F O R S U B M I S S I O N S


p i s c a t o r i a l p r e s s - orafs.orgorafs.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/ppwinter2013.pdf ·...

Documents