Need Statement: There is a continuing need to conduct Habitat Evaluation Procedures (HEP) analyses on BPA-funded wildlife mitigation properties throughout the Columbia River Basin (Basin) in order to document habitat unit (HU) crediting in a consistent manner and to assure HEP data are comparable between projects and geographic areas for crediting purposes.

Background: HEP was developed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and adopted by the Northwest Power Planning Council (NWPPC) as outlined in Section D7 of the NWPPC's 2000 Fish and Wildlife Program, which states in part, "Habitat enhancement credits should be provided to Bonneville…This determination should be made though the periodic monitoring of the project site using the Habitat Evaluation Procedure methodology."  HEP is a non-monetary method to evaluate and quantify habitat impacts and changes resulting from land and water development projects.  HEP has many other uses including project planning, impact assessment, mitigation and compensation, and habitat management by providing information for two types of wildlife comparisons i.e. the relative value of different areas at the same point in time and the relative value of the same area at future points in time. It can also be used as a tool to document baseline information on habitats as a gauge for future habitat modification.

HEP was used to document habitat/wildlife losses associated with construction of federal hydro facilities on the Columbia River.  Likewise, HEP was also used to quantify HU gains resulting from mitigation/compensation projects funded by the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) as part of NWPPC's Wildlife Mitigation Program.
      
Prior to the initiation of HEP as a Fish and Wildlife Program project in 2003 (project number 2006-006-00 was assigned in April 2005) HEP analyses were conducted primarily by individual entities with assistance from other Columbia Basin Fish and Wildlife Authority (CBFWA) wildlife management agencies that participated on a volunteer basis.  Costs associated with funding HEP surveys were borne largely by the assisting agencies' budgets instead of project proponents receiving the service. (Some HEPs are still done this way.)  In order to ensure that HEPs are conducted in a consistent manner throughout the Basin with funding certainty, NWPPC and BPA now fund a regional HEP team.

The Regional HEP Team (RHT) is funded for 12 months per year, and was approved to work for three years, from June 2002 until September 2005, or until the RHT is no longer needed. Funding for this project guarantees staff are available to complete HEP analyses in a timely manner, ensures consistent interpretation and application of HEP models, and promotes standardization of habitat measurement techniques and documentation of results throughout the Columbia Basin.

The primary function of the Regional HEP Team (RHT) is to conduct preliminary and baseline Habitat Evaluation Procedures analyses on all habitat related Columbia River mitigation/compensation projects where HEP is applicable.  The RHT will conduct acquisition/enhancement HEP surveys and assist project proponents with follow-up HEP analyses and HEP related monitoring and evaluation protocols.

If requested by project entities, the RHT will also collect relative "course filter" edaphic/physiographic (soils and geographical) information and floristic data on native and introduced indicator species in order to evaluate current habitat quality and potential relative to project goals and objectives (subject to availability of local botanist/plant identification expert).

Goals, Strategies, Objectives, and Tasks

Goal 1:  Provide Columbia River Wildlife Mitigation Program wildlife managers, project proponents, and funding decision entities with an objective biological assessment (HEP) of extant and proposed land acquisitions, leases, easements, and/or habitat protection and enhancement measures.

Strategy 1.1:  Project Proponents include all agencies, tribes, quasi-government, non-government organizations (NGOs), and individuals submitting proposals.  Use of the RHT is voluntary and must be requested by project proponents.  Selection of projects for evaluation will be determined based on requests from CBFWA managers/project proponents, BPA, time constraints, project type, and Provincial/Sub-basic priorities, goals, and objectives.

Strategy 1.2:  Assist wildlife/project managers complete HEP analyses on extant projects as described in "Section D7 - Wildlife" of the Northwest Power Council's Columbia River Basin Fish and Wildlife Program (Council Document 2000-19). The primary focus will be on projects identified by BPA as needing a HEP analysis.

Objective 1.1:  Conduct HEP analyses on project lands within the Columbia River Basic for 7 months each year (March through September) beginning in FY 2002.

Task 1.1.1:  Complete baseline HEP analysis on extant projects with assistance from project proponents.

Task 1.1.2:  Complete baseline HEP analysis on new projects with assistance from project proponents (terrestrial habitat associate with both fish and wildlife)

Task 1.1.3:  Develop/modify standardized HEP models as needed for use on HEP studies with the Basin.

Task 1.1.4:  Analyze, maintain, and disseminate HEP information with assistance from project proponents.

Task 1.1.5:  Provide project proponent(s), BPA, and CBFWA an objective overview of HEP results for each entity (HEP report)

Task 1.1.6:  Re-evaluate properties on which HEP analysis was previously done to measure results of project implementation.



Table:  Tentative RHT monthly activity schedule.

                                                         Month
Activity                          Dec.   Jan.   Feb.   Mar.   Apr.   May.   Jun.   Jul.   Aug.   Sep.   Oct.   Nov.  
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HEP planning              |   x    |    x   |    x   |    x   |         |         |         |         |         |         |         |         |
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Pre-field Site Visits      |         |         |         |   x    |   x    |         |         |         |         |         |         |         |
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Field Surveys              |         |         |         |         |         |   x    |   x    |   x    |    x   |         |         |         |
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Data Analsis               |         |         |         |         |         |   x    |   x    |    x   |    x    |    x   |    x   |    x   |
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HEP Report                |         |         |         |   x    |    x   |         |         |         |         |         |    x   |    x   |
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Hire/Train HEP Team |         |         |         |   x    |    x   |         |         |         |         |         |         |         |
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