The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) is now accepting public comment on two proposals, which bear historic significance to the Pacific Northwest and Northern Rockies. In response to a settlement agreement with the Alliance for the Wild Rockies and the Friends of the Wild Swan, the FWS has proposed critical habitat designation for more than 18,000 miles of streams-an area nearly twice the length of the entire National Wild & Scenic Rivers System. The FWS has also released a draft Recovery Plan for bull trout. They are also hosting a series of public meetings and open houses (see schedule below).

Some suggestions for inclusion in your comments:

• Establish your direct personal stake in the outcome of this issue.
  For example, be sure to mention if you are a fishing or rafting guide with a direct economic stake; a biologist or researcher who studies bull trout/fisheries issues; a landowner with land adjacent to bull trout streams; a fisher person with historical use of the areas. Mention that your personal enjoyment of living and working in this region is the knowledge that native species such as bull trout still exist and you are directly dependent on clean water, of which bull trout is a primary indicator.
• State that you are in support of all the areas the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service has proposed for critical habitat.
  Additionally, that you are in support of including as critical habitat bull trout streams which the FWS has not included. Be specific as possible (for example, Lolo Creek). To check which streams were proposed in your area, check the FWS website: http://species.fws.gov/bulltrout
• State that the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service must include specific numeric habitat standards designed to protect the constituent elements of critical habitat.
  Without standards, there will be no way to know when critical habitat is being damaged or destroyed. The Fish & Wildlife Service needs to adopt the Five Cs necessary to protect bull trout critical habitat and allow recovery. These are:
• CLEAN
  Fine sediments < 6.4 mm (approx. 1/4 inch) must be limited to less than 20% in spawning habitat
• COLD
  Stream temperatures in current and historic spawning, rearing and migratory corridor habitats should not exceed 6-8 C (approx. 43-46 F) for spawning, with 2-4 C (approx. 36-39 F) optimal for incubation; 10-12 C (approx. 50-54 F) for rearing habitat, with 7-8 C (approx. 45-46 F) being optimal. Migratory stream corridors should be 12 C (approx. 54 F) or less.
• COMPLEX
  Critical habitat isn't just a set of places; it is also a complex arrangement of habitat features and environmental conditions. Maintaining bull trout habitat requires stream channel and flow stability. All bull trout life history stages are associated with complex forms of cover including overhanging vegetation which produces shade, large woody debris within the stream which leads to pool formation, undercut banks for hiding cover, and large boulders which form pools. Thus, bull trout not only need clean cold water, they need places to rest, hide, feed and travel. Protection of riparian areas should extend at least 300 feet from the outer edge of the floodplain. All streams should average ? 90% bank stability. Wherever possible, critical habitat should be extended to the entire hydrologic watershed.
• CONNECTED
  Blockages to migration routes, both physical and thermal, must be addressed to maintain the migratory form of the species and allow for genetic interchange among populations.
• COMPREHENSIVE
  Critical habitat protection must extend to all remaining bull trout populations range wide, including currently disjunctive (isolated) populations. Currently unoccupied stream segments must also be designated to allow disjunctive populations to become reconnected to other populations.

Your comments on the CRITICAL HABITAT proposal may be sent to:

John Young, Bull Trout Coordinator
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
911 N.E. 11th Ave.
Portland, OR 97232.
FAX: 503-231-2218 ç Attn John Young

Comments can also be submitted via the FWS bull trout web site.
E-mail: R1BullTroutCH@r1.fws.gov

The proposal itself, as well as the draft recovery plan, can be accessed at the web site.

Comments are being accepted through May 12, 2003

Your comments on the DRAFT RECOVERY may be sent to:

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Snake River Basin Office
Attn: Jeff Foss, Acting Supervisor
1387 W. Vinnell Way, Room 368
Boise, ID 83709
FAX: 208-378-5262, Attn?Jeff Foss
E-mail: fw1srbocomment@fws.gov

Comments are being accepted through March 29, 2003

The schedule for public meetings and open houses is as follows:

January 6: Challis, Idaho
Custer County Courthouse (Commissioners Room)
801 Main Street
Information meeting 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

January 7: Salmon, Idaho
Salmon Valley Center
200 Main Street
Information meeting 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Hearing 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

January 7: Polson, Montana
KwaTaqNuq Resort
303 U.S. Highway 93
Informational meeting 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Hearing 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

January 7: Wenatchee, Washington
West Coast Wenatchee Center Hotel
201 North Wenatchee Avenue
Information meeting 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Hearing 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

January 8: Missoula, Montana
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Headquarters
3201 Spurgin Road
Information meeting 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.

January 9: Spokane, Washington
West Coast Grand Hotel
303 West North River Drive
Information meeting 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Hearing 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

January 9: Lewiston, Idaho
Red Lion Hotel
621 21st Street
Information meeting 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Hearing 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

January 9: Bend, Oregon
Central Oregon Community College
NW College Way
Information meeting 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

January 13: Vancouver, Washington
Water Resources Education Center
Bruce E. Hagenson Community Room
4600 SE Columbia Way
Information meeting 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

January 13: Yakima, Washington
Yakima Convention Center
10 North 8th Avenue
Information meeting 6 pm. to 8 p.m.

January 14: Eugene, Oregon
Hilton Eugene & Conference Center
66 East 6th Avenue
Information meeting 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Public hearing 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

January 14: Boise, Idaho
AmeriTel Inn/Boise Spectrum
7499 West Overland Road
Information meeting 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Hearing 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

January 14: Kalispell, Montana
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Headquarters
490 North Meridian Road
Information meeting 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.

January 15: Sandpoint, Idaho
The City Forum
418 North 3rd Avenue
Information meeting 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

January 16: Libby, Montana
U.S. Forest Service Building
1101 Highway 2 West
Information meeting 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.

January 16: Pendleton, Oregon
Red Lion Hotel
304 SE Nye
Information meeting 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Hearing 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

January 22: Klamath Falls, Oregon
Shilo Inn
2500 Almond Street
Information meeting 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Hearing 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

January 28: LaGrande, Oregon
Blue Mountain Conference Center/National Guard Armory
401 12th Street
Information meeting 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Bull Trout Index