In its 1993 Strategy for Salmon, the Northwest Power Planning Council (now Northwest Power and Conservation Council) recommended that terminal or "select area" fishing sites be identified and developed to harvest abundant fish stocks while minimizing the incidental harvest of depressed stocks.  The Council called on the Bonneville Power Administration to fund a study to evaluate potential select area fishery sites and opportunities.  This project is an extension of the hatchery system that utilizes existing hatchery facilities to spawn, hatch, and conduct initial rearing of juvenile salmonids for subsequent outplanting to net-pen facilities at each of the select area fishery evaluation (SAFE) sites.  The new name for SAFE is now Select Area Fisheries Enhancement beginning with the 2007-09 funding period.  The project has been conducted in three distinct stages: an initial research phase to investigate potential sites, salmon stocks and methodologies; a second phase of expansion in Youngs Bay and introduction into areas of greatest potential as shown from the initial state; and a final phase of establishment of select fisheries at full capacity at all acceptable sites. Even though the final phase is intended to establish select area fisheries at full capacity at all acceptable sites through adaptive management strategies, no site is currently rearing all species of fish at full capacity, and several potential sites have not been thoroughly evaluated.  Based on the May 18, 2007 recommendations by the Northwest Power and Conservation Council following the joint review of the ISRP and IEAB, further expansion will be based on a risk management plan and economic analysis supporting it.

The objectives of this project are mitigation, protection of endangered species and economic development without negative impact on the environment.  All objectives are accomplished by producing salmon for harvest in the lower Columbia River commercial and sports fisheries locally, and regionally for commercial and sports fisheries in the Pacific Northwest coastal zones.  The fish produced under work elements (WE) 176 "Produce Hatchery Fish, select area bright fall chinook, spring chinook and lower Columbia River hatchery coho" provide fish for harvest when fishing is curtailed to protect endangered stocks of fish and in select areas where the incidence of endangered fish is minimal and closely monitored.  WE 66 "Trap/Collect/Hold/Transport Fish - Hatchery" is where producing hatchery fish begins with adult holding for egg collection and eventual transporting to rearing sites, and has been moved to WEs E. & N. 176 as milestones.  The fish produced from this program are able to be identified separate from the endangered stocks by marking accomplished in WE 158 "Mark/Tag Animals".  Negative impact on the environment is avoided by monitoring the smolts in the estuary and the accumulative results of rearing operations in the estuary through WEs 157 "Collect/Generate/Validate Field and Lab Data" for Adenosine triphosphatase sampling and benthic invertebrate and sediment sampling with reporting of those results under WE 165 "Produce Environmental Compliance Documentation".  Monitoring the economic development occurs under WE 157 "Collect/Generate/Validate Field and Lab Data" through collection of voluntary poundage assessment contributions from commercial fishermen and processors and review of fish tickets for calculating participation.  The total economic impact of the SAFE fisheries is shown in detail through graphs and charts as Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife's WEs 157, 159 and 162 covered in detail in their Statement of Work.

The current SAFE sites are Deep River in Washington; and Blind Slough, Tongue Point and Youngs Bay in Oregon.  Fisheries at these sites have been adopted and developed with results of significant economic benefit to lower Columbia River communities through increased interest in select area fisheries by both commercial and recreational user groups.  All sites are monitored to determine whether any change is occurring in the benthic invertebrate population and sediment composition.

This project will continue the development of the SAFE sites to maximize harvest of returning adults and minimize catch of non-SAFE stocks at existing sites; coordinate activities with Washington and Oregon Departments of Fish and Wildlife, Clatsop County, Bonneville Power Administration, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Salmon For All; and compile project results and information.