Columbia River Basin: A Multilayered Collection of Directives and Plans Guides Federal Fish and Wildlife Activities Page: 2 of 66
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' GAO
Accountability- Integrity- Reliability
Highlights
Highlights of GAO-04-602, a report to the
Committee on Indian Affairs, United States
SenateWhy GAO Did This Study
Numerous federal agencies
conduct water, power, or resource
management activities affecting the
fish and wildlife of the Columbia
River Basin, as well as the 13 tribes
residing there. These agencies,
such as the Bonneville Power
Administration (Bonneville), Army
Corps of Engineers, and Forest
Service, and regulatory agencies,
such as the National Marine
Fisheries Service, are also
responsible for protecting,
sustaining, and enhancing fish and
wildlife resources in the basin and
involving the tribes in the process.
Recently, Bonneville's financial
position deteriorated significantly,
and some tribes in the basin
challenged Bonneville's actions
modifying funding of fish and
wildlife activities in federal court.
In this context, GAO agreed to (1)
identify and describe the laws,
treaties, executive orders, and
court decisions that define federal
responsibilities to perform
activities benefiting fish and
wildlife in the basin and involve the
tribes, and (2) describe the plans
and programs that guide these
respective fish and wildlife
activities. In accordance with our
policy to refrain from addressing
matters that are in litigation, GAO
did not examine any issues that are
before the court.www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-04-602.
To view the full product, including the scope
and methodology, click on the link above.
For more information, contact Barry T. Hill at
202-512-3841 or hillbt@gao.gov.COLUMBIA RIVER BASIN
A Multilayered Collection of Directives
and Plans Guides Federal Fish and
Wildlife ActivitiesWhat GAO Found
Federal responsibilities for protecting, mitigating, and enhancing fish and
wildlife resources in the basin, as well as involving the tribes in the process,
are defined by a multi-layered collection of laws, treaties, executive orders,
and court decisions. Nationwide, basin-specific, and agency mission-specific
laws create responsibilities for federal agencies to mitigate the impacts of
federal activities that could potentially harm fish, wildlife, and their habitat.
For example, the Endangered Species Act establishes nationwide
responsibilities for agencies to protect listed species, while the Northwest
Electric Power Planning and Conservation Act (Northwest Power Act)
establishes responsibilities in the basin to mitigate the impacts of
hydropower development, and each agency has mission-related
responsibilities to fish and wildlife, such as the Forest Service's
responsibilities under the National Forest Management Act. Regarding
tribes, federal agencies must consult and collaborate with Indian tribes on
fish and wildlife activities that may impact tribal rights established under
various treaties and executive orders. Federal responsibilities and activities
under these laws, treaties, and executive orders have been defined and
clarified over the years through numerous court decisions.
Federal agency fish and wildlife activities in the basin are guided by
numerous plans and programs, but the majority of fish and wildlife activities
are driven by the Northwest Power Act and the Endangered Species Act.
Under the Northwest Power Act, the Columbia River Basin Fish and Wildlife
Program addresses all fish and wildlife impacted by the Federal Columbia
River Power System, and under the Endangered Species Act, agencies are
guided by the biological opinions developed by the National Marine
Fisheries Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the protection of
threatened and endangered species, as well as two other related
collaborative plans. Agency participation in these key efforts varies widely,
from mandatory funding of fish and wildlife activities to voluntary
collaboration on the design of activities, but interagency collaboration is
essential to successful implementation of these activities. In addition, other
laws and specific agency missions drive numerous other collaborative and
individual fish and wildlife activities.
We provided copies of our draft report to the Departments of Agriculture,
Commerce, Defense, the Interior, as well as Bonneville and the
Environmental Protection Agency. Bonneville and the Departments of
Agriculture and Commerce provided official written comments. The
comments were generally technical in nature and we made changes to the
report, where appropriate. The Department of Defense and the
Environmental Protection Agency had no comments on the report. The
Department of the Interior did not provide comments in time to be included
in this report.United States General Accounting Office
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United States. General Accounting Office. Columbia River Basin: A Multilayered Collection of Directives and Plans Guides Federal Fish and Wildlife Activities, report, June 4, 2004; Washington D.C.. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc298688/m1/2/: accessed April 23, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.