On February 26, 1998, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) announced proposed listings of several west coast chinook salmon, chum salmon, sockeye salmon, and steelhead Evolutionary Significant Units (ESU’s) in Washington, Oregon, and California. These announcements trigger a one year review by NMFS of population status and conservation plans before a final decision is rendered.
Proposed listings include:
CHINOOK SALMON: 15 total ESU’s; 7 proposed new listings:
Puget Sound Chinook Salmon - Threatened
Lower Columbia River Chinook Salmon - Threatened
Upper Willamette River Chinook salmon - Threatened
Upper Columbia River Spring Chinook Salmon - Endangered
Southern Oregon/California Coast Chinook Salmon - Threatened
California Central Valley Spring Chinook Salmon - Endangered
California Central Valley Fall Chinook Salmon - Threatened
Also, a re-defined Snake River Fall Chinook Salmon ESU to include Deschutes River fall chinook is proposed as threatened. The change would be the addition of the Deschutes River segment.
CHUM SALMON: 4 total ESU’s; 2 proposed listings:
Hood Canal Summer Chum Salmon - Threatened
Columbia River Chum Salmon - Threatened
SOCKEYE SALMON: 6 total ESU’s; 1 proposed listing:
Ozette Lake Sockeye Salmon - Threatened
STEELHEAD: 2 additional ESU’s proposed for listing:
Upper Willamette River Steelhead - Threatened
Mid-Columbia River Steelhead - Threatened
According to Garth Griffin, Chief of the Endangered Species Branch in Portland, Oregon, NMFS plans to announce their final listing decisions for five west coast steelhead ESU’s on March 13, 1998. These final listing decisions will include steelhead ESU’s for the Lower Columbia River, Oregon Coast, Klamath Mountains Province, Northern California, and California Central Valley.