Applied Ecology in the Implementation of the Washington Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) On Estuary Habitat Restoration

Given the regional Goal of restoring ecosystems in the lower Columbia River and estuary – to increase survival of juvenile salmon – as a strategy to help recover ESA-listed anadromous salmonid species in the Columbia River Basin.  How do we apply research results to reduce critical uncertainties regarding juvenile salmon’s response to ecological dynamics; and subsequently develop tools and procedures that support restoration project development?  I will address this and several other key questions regarding the efficacy of Columbia River estuary habitat restoration project development.  What steps do we take to identify, scope, and rank a potential restoration project?  How do we integrate effectiveness research, monitoring, and an adaptive management approach into individual restoration projects in a way that is consistent with an overarching regional evaluation framework?  How does sequencing land acquisition and long-term grooming of willing land owners fit into a regional habitat restoration strategy?  How do we balance protection/loss of good habitat versus restoration of degraded habitat?  How does loss of properly functioning habitats and the resultant changing baseline affect the overall restoration goal?  How does the Washington MOA fit into the larger Lower Columbia River restoration establishment and how do we all achieve true estuary-wide coordination of efforts?  Some of the primary restoration actions endorsed by ERTG are reconnecting tidal and flood flows between off-channel habitats and the main-stem Columbia by breaching dikes, replacing and removing tide gates and culverts, and excavating channels.  Is the unifying paradigm of restoring natural ecological processes on a large scale really the silver bullet?