QUEETS RIVER NATURAL COHO SALMON REBUILDING PLAN, ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT, MAGNUSON-STEVENS FISHERY CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT ACT ANALYSIS, REGULATORY IMPACT REVIEW, AND INITIAL REGULATORY FLEXIBILITY ANALYSIS REGULATORY IDENTIFIER NUMBER 0648-BJ05 PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS AN INTEGRATED DOCUMENT DESIGNED TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE PACIFIC FISHERY MANAGEMENT COUNCIL’S PACIFIC SALMON FISHERY MANAGEMENT PLAN AND PROVIDE THE ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS REQUIRED UNDER THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT. Pacific Fishery Management Council National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) 7700 NE Ambassador Place, Suite 101 7600 Sand Point Way, NE, BIN C15700 Portland, OR 97220-1384 Seattle, WA 98115-0700 (503) 820-2280 (206) 526-6150 www.pcouncil.org www.noaa.gov/fisheries This document may be cited in the following manner: Pacific Fishery Management Council and National Marine Fisheries Service. 2020. Environmental Assessment: Salmon Rebuilding Plan for Queets River Natural Coho. Pacific Fishery Management Council, 7700 NE Ambassador Place, Suite 101, Portland, Oregon 97220- 1384 and National Marine Fisheries Service, West Coast Region, 7600 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, Washington 98115. A report of the Pacific Fishery Management Council pursuant to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Award Number NA15NMF4410016A. Environmental Assessment for Queets Coho Rebuilding Plan December 2020 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Salmon Technical Team, NMFS, and the Council staff express their thanks for the expert assistance provided by those listed here and numerous other tribal and agency personnel in completing this report. Dr. Michael O’Farrell, STT Chair National Marine Fisheries Service, Santa Cruz, California Mr. Jon Carey, STT Vice-Chair National Marine Fisheries Service, Lacey, Washington Ms. Wendy Beeghley, STT member Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Montesano, Washington Ms. Marlene Bellman Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission, Olympia, Washington Mr. Craig Foster, STT member Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Clackamas, Oregon Dr. Larry Gilbertson Quinault Indian Nation, Taholah, Washington Dr. Steve Haeseker, STT member U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Vancouver, Washington Ms. Ashton Harp, STT member Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission, Forks, Washington Mr. Rob Jones Northwest Indian Fish Commission, Olympia, Washington Mr. Tyler Jurasin Quinault Indian Nation, Taholah, Washington Dr. Robert Kope, former STT member, Vice-Chair National Marine Fisheries Service, Seattle, Washington (retired) Mr. Larrie Lavoy, former STT member National Marine Fisheries Service, Lacey, Washington (retired) Mr. Alex Letvin, STT member California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Santa Rosa, California Mr. David Low Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Montesano, Washington Ms. Peggy Mundy National Marine Fisheries Service, Seattle, Washington Ms. Mindy Rowse, STT member National Marine Fisheries Service, Seattle, Washington Environmental Assessment for Queets Coho Rebuilding Plan December 2020 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS (continued) Dr. Jim Seger Pacific Fishery Management Council, Portland, Oregon Dr. Ed Waters Economist (on contract with the Pacific Fishery Management Council), Beaverton, Oregon Environmental Assessment for Queets Coho Rebuilding Plan December 2020 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 1.0 Executive Summary .............................................................................................................1 2.0 Introduction ..........................................................................................................................1 2.1 Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act ........................................4 2.2 National Environmental Policy Act .....................................................................................4 2.2.1 Proposed Action .......................................................................................................5 2.2.2 Purpose and Need ....................................................................................................5 2.3 Stock overview.....................................................................................................................5 2.3.1 Stock composition ....................................................................................................5 2.3.2 Location and geography ...........................................................................................7 2.4 Management Overview ........................................................................................................8 2.4.1 Conservation objectives ...........................................................................................9 2.4.2 Management strategy ...............................................................................................9 3.0 Review of Potential Factors Leading to Overfished Status ...............................................10 3.1 Freshwater survival ............................................................................................................10 3.1.1 Review of freshwater conditions ...........................................................................10 3.1.2 Juvenile Production Estimates ...............................................................................15 3.2 Marine Survival .................................................................................................................15 3.2.1 Review of Ocean Conditions .................................................................................15 3.2.2 Early life survival rates ..........................................................................................18 3.3 Harvest Impacts .................................................................................................................18 3.3.1 Ocean Fisheries ......................................................................................................18 3.3.2 In-river fisheries .....................................................................................................20 3.3.3 Total Exploitation Rates ........................................................................................22 3.4 Assessment and management ............................................................................................24 3.4.1 Abundance forecast errors .....................................................................................24 3.4.2 Exploitation rate forecast errors .............................................................................25 3.5 Summary of potential contributing factors ........................................................................27 4.0 Recommendations for Action ............................................................................................28 4.1 Recommendation 1: Rebuilt criterion ...............................................................................28 4.2 Recommendation 2: Management strategy alternatives ...................................................28 4.3 Recommendation 3: Co-manager recommendations .........................................................29 4.4 Analysis of management strategy alternatives ...................................................................30 5.0 Socioeconomic Impact of Management Strategy Alternatives ..........................................32 5.1 Approach to the socioeconomic analysis and benchmark/baseline ...................................32 5.2 Alternative I .......................................................................................................................38 5.3 Alternative II ......................................................................................................................38 5.4 TMIN rebuilding scenario ....................................................................................................42 5.5 Summary of socioeconomic impacts .................................................................................43 6.0 Affected Environment and Environmental effects of Management Strategy Alternatives Considered ...............................................................................................46 6.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................46 Environmental Assessment for Queets Coho Rebuilding Plan December 2020 iii 6.2 Targeted salmon stocks ......................................................................................................47 6.2.1 Affected environment ............................................................................................47 6.2.2 Environmental consequences of the alternatives on targeted stocks .....................47 6.3 Marine mammals ...............................................................................................................48 6.3.1 Affected environment ............................................................................................48 6.3.2 Environmental consequences of the alternatives on marine mammals .................49 6.4 ESA Listed salmon stocks .................................................................................................49 6.4.1 Affected environment ............................................................................................49 6.4.2 Environmental consequences of the alternatives on ESA listed salmon stocks ....50 6.5 Cultural resources ..............................................................................................................51