Background

The Pacific Northwest Electric Power Planning and Conservation Act (Act) of 1980 (Public Law 96-501) directed that measures be implemented by BPA to protect, mitigate, and enhance fish and wildlife to the extent affected by development and operation of hydropower projects on the Columbia River system (Martin et al. 1988).  The Act created the Northwest Power Planning Council (NPPC or Council), which in turn developed the Columbia River Basin Fish and Wildlife Program (Program). Under the Act, BPA has the authority and obligation to fund fish and wildlife mitigation activities that are consistent with the Council's Fish and Wildlife Program (USDE 1996).

Part of the Program was the development of wildlife protection, mitigation, and enhancement plans for each of the hydropower facilities on the Columbia River system and ultimately, implementation of the plans to mitigate wildlife habitat losses.  The IDFG developed a mitigation plan in 1987 for the Albeni Falls hydroelectric facility that was constructed by the U.S. Army, Corps of Engineers (COE) on the Pend Oreille River in Bonner County, Idaho between 1951 and 1955 (Martin et al. 1988). Mitigation plans for wildlife habitat losses at each of the Columbia River Basin dams were submitted by BPA to the Northwest Power Planning Council in 1989 including the mitigation plan for Albeni Falls Dam in Idaho (USDE 1996).  The Council reviewed and approved the Albeni Falls plan in 1990 (USDE 1996).

BPA prepared the Albeni Falls Wildlife Management Plan: Environmental Assessment in 1996.  The plan guides the development of wildlife mitigation projects associated with Albeni Falls Dam proposed by the IDFG and the Albeni Falls Interagency Work Group, approved by the Northwest Power Planning Council, and proposed for funding by BPA.  The plan enables the IDFG and the Kalispel, Coeur d'Alene, and Kootenai Indian Tribes to: 1) Protect and enhance through land acquisition, a variety of wetland and riparian habitats; 2) Restore 28,587 Habitat Units (HUs lost as a result of the construction of Albeni Falls Dam, and; 3) Conduct long-term wildlife habitat management activities at individual mitigation project sites (USDE 1996). In lieu of annualizing HU losses the NPPC has decided to mitigate losses at a 2:1 ratio. That is, for every 2 HUs protected the HU ledger will be reduced by 1 HU.

The Northern Idaho Wildlife Mitigation Agreement was jointly prepared and approved by the IDFG and BPA in June 1997 (BPA and IDFG 1997).


This Idaho Department of Fish and Game administrative contract assumes the responsibility of collecting, maintaining and forwarding to BPA any and all documentation pertaining to NEPA/ESA compliance measures that must be undertaken prior to the start of implementation activities occurring on the Boundary Creek WMA and on the Pend Oreille WMA's.