The response and revised proposal gave a more readable and detailed account of project results and anticipated activities. Reviewers continue to maintain a position (as detailed in ISRP preliminary comments) that past results are below a standard of adequacy in terms of quality and quantity of efforts to benefit fish when compared with similar projects throughout the basin. Substantial progress is needed during the 07-09 funding cycle. The addition of a subcontract for statistical advising is positive, but only if the (unidentified) subcontractor has appropriate qualifications and practical experience in problem solving. Input from a fluvial geomorphologist would significantly aid project design and implementation.

Reviewers share with project staff an appreciation of the challenges involved in assessing the abundance of adfluvial salmonids. It is important that a set of standardized metrics (for example, trapping during some specified portion of the hydrograph excluding peak flows, coupled with electrofishing or snorkeling at summer base flow) be developed that, taken together, satisfactorily assess changes in fish numbers from year to year. Those metrics can be further compared with fish data from EMAP trend monitoring from the set of reference stream reaches, and with hydrograph and temperature "real time" monitoring to help put physical conditions for that year in perspective, relative to habitat and fish population changes.

Reviewers also share with project staff the awareness that environmental conditions in interior streams are changing, with the heightened peaks in spring flow followed by drought seen in project streams likely continuing. This makes sampling more difficult and puts additional pressure on restoration activities because marginal-quality habitat actions that might have been somewhat beneficial to fish two decades ago now are useless.