SALEM, Ore - The upper Willamette stakeholder team will meet Sept. 18 to discuss progress on the recovery plan for spring chinook and winter steelhead. The team will also discuss how the recovery plan fits into the Willamette Legacy Planning.

The Willamette Legacy Planning has three priority areas that focus on cleaning up industrial pollutants and toxins that have contaminated the Willamette River, returning the river to its natural state and addressing the role that the river plays in Oregon’s quality of life.

The meeting is from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, 3406 Cherry Ave. NE, Salem. The stakeholder group is helping to develop a recovery plan for upper Willamette spring chinook and winter steelhead that are listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act.

Other agenda items include a report on the status of the Corp of Engineers’ biological opinion and recommendations concerning the Willamette River Ecosystem.

An assessment of the current status of salmon and steelhead populations in the Willamette and Lower Columbia basins has been released by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries Science Center and ODFW for public review.  The Viability Status of Oregon Salmon and Steelhead Populations in the Willamette and Lower Columbia Basins can be found at www.nwfsc.noaa.gov/trt/trt_wlc_psr2007.cfm. This report will be an appendix to the Lower Columbia and Upper Willamette recovery plans, with a synopsis also provided in the plans.

Members of the stakeholder team represent industry, conservation, fishing, private lands, forestry, agricultural, tribal, federal and state agencies, local governments, and other interests.

The upper Willamette recovery plan is one of four recovery plans being developed in Oregon to address the threatened status of steelhead and coho, chum and chinook salmon.

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife representatives are working with NOAA Fisheries technical recovery teams to finalize assessment of the current status of listed species, define the gap between current status and de-listing criteria and set recovery goals.  Draft products and meeting materials are available at www.dfw.state.or.us/fish/CRP/upper_willamette_river_plan.asp .

The mission of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is to protect and enhance Oregon's fish and wildlife and their habitats for use and enjoyment by present and future generations. The agency consists of the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission, a commission-appointed director and a statewide staff of approximately 950 permanent employees. Headquartered in Salem, ODFW has regional offices in Clackamas, Roseburg, Bend, and La Grande with ten district offices located throughout the state. For additional information, please visit www.dfw.state.or.us.