Dungeness Hatcheries Plans

NOAA Fisheries is making available for public review its Proposed Evaluation and Pending Determination (PEPD) for a Chinook salmon hatchery program operating in the Dungeness River basin (see Resources, below).

An ESA Section 4(d) Limit 6 determination may be made on the joint state-tribal plan, which allows for programs in the U.S. v. Washington Management Agreement to be operated. This program propagates Puget Sound Chinook salmon of Dungeness River spring Chinook salmon origin.

The hatchery program is intended to:

• Supplement or support local natural salmon populations;
• Mitigate for fish losses caused by development and habitat degradation, and
• Provide future fishing opportunities for states and tribes.

This program is described in a Hatchery and Genetics Management Plans (HGMP) submitted to NOAA Fisheries for review and determination. The HGMP describes the program in detail, including monitoring and evaluation to assess performance in meeting conservation and supplementation objectives and the effects on ESA-listed spring Chinook salmon and steelhead.

Comments are only being solicited on the PEPD. See the Federal Register notice (below) for information on how to provide comments. For more information, contact Morgan Robinson at (253) 307-2670 or by email at morgan.robinson@noaa.gov.

For more information on hatchery programs that NOAA Fisheries is evaluating along the West Coast, including in Puget Sound, please visit our hatcheries page.