Fisheries Habitat

Objectives

See Aquatic Conservation Strategy and Riparian Reserve Objectives.

Maintain or enhance the fisheries potential of streams and other waters consistent with BLM's Fish and Wildlife 2000 Plan, the Bring Back the Natives initiative, and other nationwide initiatives.

Promote the rehabilitation and protection of at risk fish stocks and their habitat.

Land Use Allocations

There are no land use allocations specific to fisheries. However, riparian reserves are managed in part, to provide sufficient fisheries habitat.

Management Actions/Direction

Management Actions/Direction - Riparian Reserves

Design and implement fish habitat restoration and enhancement activities in a manner that contributes to attainment of Aquatic Conservation Strategy and riparian reserve objectives.

Design, construct, and operate fish interpretive and other user-enhancement facilities in a manner that does not retard or prevent attainment of Aquatic Conservation Strategy and riparian reserve objectives. For existing fish interpretative and other user-enhancement facilities inside riparian reserves, ensure that Aquatic Conservation Strategy and riparian reserve objectives are met. Where Aquatic Conservation Strategy and riparian reserve objectives cannot be met, relocate or close such facilities.

Cooperate with Federal, Tribal, and State fish management agencies to identify and eliminate impacts associated with habitat manipulation, fish stocking, harvest and poaching that threaten the continued existence and distribution of native fish stocks inhabiting Federal lands.

Management Actions/Direction - Late-Successional Reserves

Design projects to improve conditions for fish if they provide late-successional habitat benefits or if their effect on late-successional associated species is negligible.

Management Actions/Direction - All Land Use Allocations

Apply the management actions/direction in the Special Status and SEIS Special Attention Species section.

Use the watershed analysis process to address at-risk fish species and stocks and their habitat for individual watersheds. Where appropriate, fish habitat enhancement opportunities will be identified through this process.

Coordinate with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Wild Fish Policy during planning and implementation of fish habitat enhancement projects. Priority will be given to watersheds supporting at-risk fish species and stocks and those requiring extensive restoration.

As identified through watershed analysis, rehabilitate streams and other waters to enhance natural populations of anadromous and resident fish. Possible rehabilitation measures would include, but not be limited to, fish passage improvements, instream structures using boulders and log placement to create spawning and rearing habitat, placement of fine and coarse materials for over-wintering habitat, and riparian rehabilitation to establish or release existing coniferous trees. See Table 3 for a list of possible fish enhancement projects.

Except for land tenure Zone 3 lands, riparian and fish habitat will be retained unless land exchanges would improve management of fish, wildlife, or riparian habitat elsewhere.

BLM would work with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to determine appropriate streamflows for instream water rights to maintain or enhance aquatic habitat, particularly for special status species.

Best Management Practices (Appendix D), will be implemented for water quality and soil productivity whenever appropriate and practical to minimize adverse effects of management actions on water quality, fish, and riparian habitat.

BLM ownership in the watersheds shown on Table 4 would be blocked up where possible to improve watershed management for:

Federal candidate fish and amphibian species (Jenny Creek sucker, Redband trout, and Western pond turtle);
State of Oregon and American Fisheries Society sensitive fish species (coho salmon, winter and summer steelhead); and
Prevent decline of other priority fish species in other watersheds.

Management direction in the RMP for water and soils and riparian reserves also applies to Fisheries.