Fisheries Research Division

CONTACT INFORMATION

Lapwai       208-843-7145 PHONE      208-843-7310 FAX

VISION

Manage aquatic resources to provide for healthy self-sustaining fish populations of historically present species and for harvest opportunities.

GOALS

1.  Prevent extirpation of salmon and steelhead and promote recovery and restoration of these populations

2. Protect, mitigate and enhance production in all anadromous streams within Nez Perce Tribe territory.

3. Support and maintain tribal fisheries harvest opportunities where and when they exist.

4. Monitor and evaluate hatchery production programs to determine program effectiveness and to provide for adaptive management.

5. Monitor the status of salmon and steelhead populations and supporting fish habitat.

6.  Provide science-based recommendations for management and policy consideration.

DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES

The Fisheries Research Division conducts monitoring and evaluation and applied research studies to: provide information on the status (abundance) of populations (juveniles and adults); determine the effectiveness of hatchery supplementation programs; provide smolt survival estimates through the Snake River and Columbia River hydroelectric projects; provide information to support tribal fisheries; make sound fisheries management recommendations for improving survival, recovery and restoration of salmon and steelhead to management and policy; provide for genetic conservation of salmon and steelhead populations; provide information on salmon recovery alternatives under the Endangered Species Act, and impact assessments; provide assistance with Snake River Water Rights Adjudication process; and participates in state and regional technical forums to promote Nez Perce Tribe policy and management goals.

STAFF

The Research Division of the Department of Fisheries Resources Management is headquartered in the Sweetwater Office, two miles South of Lapwai.  Jay Hesse is the Division Director, Jason Vogel is the Division Deputy Director, and Paulette Smith is the Division Secretary.  Research Division staff are also located in Orofino and McCall, Idaho, and in Joseph, Oregon field offices.  Depending on the season the Research Division employs up to 70 people.  Current employment opportunities/job postings are available at: http://www.nezperce.org/content/EmploymentOpportunity/npt_employment_opportunity.htm.

PROGRAM COMPONENTS

• Lower Snake River Compensation Plan Tribal Hatchery Evaluations Project (LSRCP).

• Monitor and Evaluate Yearling Fall Chinook Released Upstream of Lower Granite Dam.

• Nez Perce Tribal Hatchery Monitoring and Evaluation project.

• Grande Ronde Supplementation - Lostine Monitoring and Evaluation project.

• Captive Broodstock Artificial Propagation project.

• Imnaha River Smolt Monitoring project.

• Chinook Salmon Adult Abundance Monitoring project.

• Preserve Salmonid Gametes project.

• Evaluate Salmon Supplementation Studies in Idaho Rivers (ISS).

• Johnson Creek Artificial Propagation Enhancement Monitoring and Evaluation Program (JCAPE  M&E).

• Coho Salmon Monitoring and Evaluation project.

• Safety Net Artificial Propagation.

• Northeast Oregon Hatchery Monitoring and Evaluation project.

• Collaborative System-wide Monitoring and Evaluation Project.