National Forest Fisheries

1
National Forest Fisheries Aquatic Ecology
Program
2
A World Class Resource

• Over 200,000 miles of streams
• More than 2 million acres of lakes, ponds,
  reservoirs
• 46 million angler days of recreation
• 2.1 million days of fish viewing/aquatic
  education
• 150 to 200 million pounds of commercial harvest

3
A World Class Resource

• Over 8.5 billion in annual economic benefits
• Supports more than 94,000 existing jobs

4
Integrating Fisheries Aquatic Ecology Efforts
with the Natural Resources AgendaMay 11-13,
1999Washington, DC
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Historic Budgets, Positions and Planning Efforts
Perspectives on Progress Made, Current Trends
and Projected Effects
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Budget Trends in NFIF, NFAF1990 - 1999
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Total NFIF (thousands)
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Eldorado NF (0503CA) NFIF
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Cost of One GS-11 Fisheries Biologist/ Ecologist

• Basic salary cost with benefits (55k)
• Training, travel , vehicle ( 5 k)
• Forest RD Overhead ( 20k)
• Project money, supplies ( 20 k)
• Minimum Cost 100,000

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NFIF Allocations (x1000) to Individual Forest
Units1990 - 1999
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NFIF Allocations (x1000) to Individual Forest
Units1990 - 1999
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Total NFAF (thousands)
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NFAF Allocations (x1000) to Individual Forest
Units1990 - 1999
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Clearwater NF (0105ID)NFAF
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Total Allocations (x1000) to Individual Forest
Units1990 - 1999
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Total Allocations (x1000) to Individual Forest
Units1990 - 1999
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Aquatic Positions in NFS
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National total of Forest Service Aquatic
Biologists
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Number of Aquatic BiologistsFY89 - FY99
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Historic Forest Service Fisheries Aquatic
Ecology Strategies 1987-1999
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Fisheries Aquatic Ecology Program Strategies

• 1987 Rise to the Future
• 1991 Rise to the Future II
• 1996-99 Fisheries/Aquatic Ecology Mission
  Vision Statement
• 1998 Natural Resources Agenda
• 1998 Draft Aquatic Strategy (GPRA)
• 1998 Clean Water Action Plan

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1987Rise to the FutureAction Plan

• Purpose To integrate fish habitat management
  into the overall multiple use goals on each unit
  of the National Forest System.

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1987Rise to the FutureAction Plan

• 1. Enhance program identification by increasing
  the awareness of fish habitat management
  throughout the Forest Service and among fishery
  users and cooperators.
• 2. Use the best management technologies to
  increase habitat management efficiency and
  effectiveness.

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1987Rise to the FutureAction Plan

• 3. Communicate fish habitat improvement and
  access needs and market fishing opportunities.
• 4. Strengthen partnerships with States, Federal
  Agencies, Tribal Governments, conservation
  groups, and publics to share in fisheries
  management.

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1987Rise to the FutureAction Plan

• 5. Use valid economic techniques to determine
  fishery values, supplies, and demands in the
  decision making process.
• 6. Maintain a highly skilled workforce with
  strong managerial, analytical, and technical
  skills.
• 7. Implement a program of activities and develop
  budgets to accomplish the above goals.

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Evaluation
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1991Rise to the Future IIUpdated Action Plan

• Purpose To address recreational fishing
  emphasis as outlined in the FS/BLM Recreational
  Fisheries Policy and emphasis needs identified
  during various program reviews. It also reflects
  program growth that has occurred over the past 4
  years.

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1991Rise to the Future II

• A. Program Development
• B. Technical Capabilities
• C. Cooperation and Public Information
• D. Fish and Fishing Economics
• E. Fisheries Personnel

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1991Rise to the Future II

• A. Program Development
• Each Forest and Station is to develop and
  continually update multi-year fisheries programs
  to include goals and objectives that reflect
  resource needs based on desired future conditions
  and user demands.

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1991Rise to the Future II

• A. Program Development
• LRMPs and outyear budgets are to be updated,
  amended, or clarified with supporting
  implementation documents as necessary to better
  reflect this additional fisheries management
  emphasis.

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1991Rise to the Future II

• A. Program Development
• Review and update RTTF fisheries policies,
  goals, objectives, and direction with local and
  national partners.

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1991Rise to the Future II

• B. Technical Capabilities
• Develop Regional strategies for ensuring the
  integration of the most current technology in the
  management of the fisheries resource appropriate
  for each Region.

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1991Rise to the Future II

• B. Technical Capabilities
• Update integrated Forest Plan monitoring
  programs to ensure credible evaluation of the
  effectiveness of BMPs. Involve states, federal
  agencies, Research, and external partners.

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1991Rise to the Future II

• B. Technical Capabilities
• Publish the National Assessment of Fishery
  Research Needs.

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1991Rise to the Future II

• B. Technical Capabilities
• Use the National Assessment of Fishery Research
  Needs to coordinate Research and NFS budget
  proposals.

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1991Rise to the Future II

• C. Cooperation and Public Information
• Develop marketing strategies at all levels to
  recognize program accomplishments and to inform
  the public of the habitat improvement and the
  fisheries opportunities available on National
  Forests and Grasslands.

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1991Rise to the Future II

• C. Cooperation and Public Information
• Develop guidelines for establishing partnerships
  and for evaluating effectiveness of partnership
  programs. Improve understanding of cooperative
  opportunities and authorities and of the
  administrative and fiscal procedures for
  developing partnerships.

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1991Rise to the Future II

• C. Cooperation and Public Information
• Increase Forest and public involvement in
  National Fishing Week activities on NFS land.
  Closely coordinate NFW activities between
  fisheries and recreation programs at all levels.
  Each National Forest conduct at least one fishing
  event during NFW.

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1991Rise to the Future II

• D. Fish and Fishing Economics
• Update fishery values every 5 years to
  establish economic values of fishing attributable
  to the National Forests.

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1991Rise to the Future II

• D. Fish and Fishing Economics
• Conduct inventories to determine angler needs
  and expectations and assess the economic impacts
  that fishing has on rural communities.

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1991Rise to the Future II

• E. Fisheries Personnel
• Conduct workforce analyses to determine
  appropriate fisheries biologist and fishery
  research scientists workforce necessary to fully
  implement the fisheries program at all levels.
  Develop recruitment programs and recruit to meet
  workforce needs.

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1991Rise to the Future II

• E. Fisheries Personnel
• Ensure fisheries biologists have the necessary
  training and experience needed to most
  effectively develop and manage the fisheries
  resources on National Forests. Provide them
  opportunities for pursuing line, staff, and other
  positions within the agency.

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Evaluation
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Mission of Fisheries Aquatic Ecology Program

• Protect aquatic ecosystems associated riparian
  areas.
• Restore degraded aquatic ecosystems and recovery
  aquatic TE species.
• Enhance aquatic resource user opportunities.

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Vision of Fisheries Aquatic Resource Conditions

• Aquatic Ecosystem conditions trends are known,
  understood documented.
• Aquatic Ecosystems operate within natural
  sustainable ranges of variability.
• Viability requirements are exceeded for all
  aquatic biological resources.

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Current Fisheries Aquatic Ecology Program

• Guiding Principles
• 1. Take an ecological approach in caring for
  aquatic environments and responding to the needs
  of people.
• 2. Maintain high professional and ethical
  standards.
• 3. Value and treat others with respect

47
Current Fisheries Aquatic Ecology Program

• Guiding Principles
• 4. Are honest in our relationship with all
  those we work with, both in the agency and with
  external partners and customers.
• 5. Use the best scientific knowledge in making
  recommendations and in selecting technologies to
  efficiently and effectively meet our mission.

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Current Fisheries Aquatic Ecology Program

• Guiding Principles
• 6. Follow laws, regulations, executive
  direction and congressional intent.
• 7. Are dedicated, creative and persistent in
  meeting our mission and strive for quality and
  excellence in everything we do.

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Current Fisheries Aquatic Ecology Program

• Guiding Principles
• 8. Openly express appreciation and regard those
  contributing to accomplishment of our mission.
• 9. Promote grass-roots participation in program
  planning, implementation and evaluation and form
  partnerships to achieve shared goals.

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Current Fisheries Aquatic Ecology Program

• Guiding Principles
• 10. Use information from inventories and
  monitoring to continually adapt our program to
  meet changing resource needs and opportunities.
• 11. Are responsible and accountable for what we
  do.

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Evaluation
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Natural Resources Agenda for the next Millennium

• Watershed Health and Restoration
• Sustainable Forests and Grasslands
• Safe, Environmentally Compatible Roads
• Recreation

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1998 Draft GPRA the Aquatic Ecosystem
Protection and Restoration Strategy

• 1. Definition of healthy, diverse, resilient
  aquatic ecosystem.
• 2. Inventory and assessment.
• 3. Direction and skills to move toward aquatic
  conservation.
• 4. Monitoring and accountability.
• 5. Specific Performance Measures.

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Clean Water Action Plan

• 113 Action Items
• No in Fisheries in 1999
• Earmarked in 2000 both NFIF,NFAF
• must be spent in Priority Watersheds

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Todays Fisheries / Aquatic Ecologists Job in
the Forest Service
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Protection
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Protection

• Forest Plans in Revision
• Large Scale Assessments
• PACFISH INFISH, CWAP, etc.
• Conservation Strategies
• Watershed Assessments
• Priority Watershed Assignments (CWAP)
• Inventory Monitoring

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Global Significance of U.S. Freshwater Species

• 61 Crayfishes
• 30 Freshwater Mussels
• 40 Stoneflies
• 30 Mayflies
• 10 Fishes

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Proportion of U.S. Species at Risk
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Habitat Restoration

• Structure placement
• Migration barriers
• Construction of spawning channels
• Sediment erosion reduction
• Construct lakes, ponds, reservoirs
• Increase productivity (fertilization)
• Stocking removal activities

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Stream Miles Restored or Enhanced (Over 2,500)

• Anadromous / Catadromous (700)
• Inland Coldwater (1,000)
• Inland Warmwater (75)

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Lake Acres Restored or Enhanced (Over 12,000)

• Anadromous / Catadromous (1,000)
• Inland Coldwater (1,000)
• Inland Warmwater (8,000)

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Enhance User Opportunities!

• Implement aquatic education programs to promote,
  understand, and appreciate the values of aquatic
  habitats and fishing
• Construct fish viewing interpretive sites
• Develop fish viewing angler facilities
• Acquire rights of ways and easements

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World Class Recreational Fishing !!
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Freshwater Fishing Angler Days on National
Forests

• Region 1 2,491,998 (SE 195,238)
• Region 2 4,833,715 (SE 326,877)
• Region 3 3,443,216 (SE 639,591)
• Region 4 3,914,638 (SE 215,672)
• Region 5 6,788,557 (SE 1,265,173)
• Region 6 4,989,194 (SE 615,553)
• Region 8 5,764,720 (SE 339,830)

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Freshwater Fishing on National Forests

• Region 9 12,996,404 (SE 1,217,328)
• Region10 1,584,728 (SE 300,454)
• Total Angler Days 46,807,170 (2,065,858 SE)
• Economic Value 8.5 billion!

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Aquatic Education 1998

• Interactive presentations(3,000)
• Interpretive sites(25)
• Multimedia products(100)
• People reached through aquatic ed.(2,000,000)

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National Fishing Week 1998

• Events(306)
• Partners(2,740)
• Participants(65,570)

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Partnerships The Key to Protection, Restoration
Enhancement !
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Partnerships/ CooperativeActivities

• Inland Fisheries NFIF
• (25)
• Anadromous/Catadromous Fisheries
• (20)

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Partner Accomplishments !!

• Stream habitat
• (20)
• Lake habitat
• (50)
• Stream inventory
• (35)
• Lake inventory
• (20)

• Interpretive sites
• (60)
• Aquatic education
• (50)
• Multimedia
• (60)

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Todays Fisheries / Aquatic Ecologists Job in
the Forest Service
73
Natural Resources Agenda for the next Millennium

• Watershed Health and Restoration
• Sustainable Forests and Grasslands
• Safe, Environmentally Compatible Roads
• Recreation

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Aquatic TE ExpendituresFrom Non-NFTE Funds

• Inland Fisheries (NFIF)(3,895,004) (16 )
• Anadromous Fisheries (NFAF)(6,343,826) (20 )

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Number of At-Risk Freshwater Fish
76
Regional Concentration of At-Risk Freshwater
Fish Mussels