columbia river basin fish and wildlife program annual ...

III, IMPLEMENTATION PLANNING PROCESSBackqround: On October 19, 1988, Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) andthe Columbia Basin Fish and Wildlife Authority (CBFWA) signed a letterendorsing the Implementation Planning Process (IPP). The IPP is an annual,sequential, nine-step process by which BPA, in collaboration with the CBFWA,plans its implementation of the Columbia River Basin Fish and Wildlife Program(Program). The nine steps of the IPP are:Step 1. Program Policy ReviewStep 2. Project ScopingStep 3. Draft AIWP DevelopmentStep 4. Public Review and Comment on Draft AIWPStep 5. Publication of AIWPStep 6. Project SpecificationsStep 7. Project Selection and NegotiationStep 8. Contract AwardsStep 9. Evaluation of Implementation ProgressThe IPP relies on three types of working groups to accomplish the nine steps:1) the Policy Review Group (PRG); 2) the Scientific Review Group (SRG); and3) Scoping Groups (SGs), formerly called Technical Working Groups (TWgGs>.Responsibilities: The primary role of the PRG is to provide BPA with the bestpossible guidance and recommendations, from a policy perspective, on thedirection, emphasis, and funding of Program implementation. Most of the PRG'sactivities occur during Step 1 of the IPP, Program Policy Review. The PRG iscomprised of senior-level representatives from the CBFWA, BPA, Northwest PowerPlanning Council, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, utilities, and otherinterested parties.The SRG will provide the PRG and BPA with objective scientific/technicaladvice and recommendations related to implementation of the Program andevaluate implementation progress. Development of the annual evaluation reportduring Step 9 is the major task of the SRG. The SRG is comprised ofsenior-level scientists from the Northwest and other regions of the country.The SGs assist BPA with scoping of projects (Step 21, responding to publiccomments (Step 4), and development of project specifications (Step 6).Currently, there are seven IPP SGs: Wildlife, Resident Fish, Columbia andSnake River Flow and Passage, Artificial Propagation, Habitat, Supplementationand Genetics, and Tributary Passage. These SGs are comprised of the region'stechnical experts in specific areas of expertise. The IPP provides a processto create additional SGs if they are needed.23