Conservation Agreement for Pacific Lamprey

The Pacific Lamprey Conservation Initiative (Initiative) has been developed to promote implementation of conservation measures for Pacific Lamprey in Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and California. The Initiative has three phases: Assessment and Template for Conservation Measures (Luzier et al. 2011); Conservation Agreement (Agreement); and Regional Implementation Plans. The Agreement represents a cooperative effort among natural resource agencies and tribes to reduce threats to Pacific Lamprey and improve their habitats and population status. Cooperative efforts through the Agreement intend to: a) develop regional implementation plans derived from existing information and plans; b) implement conservation actions; c) promote scientific research; and d) monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of those actions.

The strategies and schedules for implementing conservation actions by region will be described in the regional implementation plans. In regions that are early in the planning process, the work will focus on identification of ongoing and needed actions. In other regions that have already gone through an extensive planning process, the focus will be on prioritizing actions, identifying potential funding and developing schedules for implementation. For example, in the Columbia River region the implementation plans would rely heavily on the threats and the proposed actions identified in the Tribal Pacific Lamprey Restoration Plan for the Columbia River (2011), Army Corps of Engineers 10- year Passage Plan for Lamprey (2009), the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Lamprey Assessment (2011), and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Assessment and Template for Conservation Measures (Luzier et al. 2011)