TANANA CHIEFS CONFERENCE (TCC) CAPACITY BUILDING COMPONENT / SCOPE OF WORK SALMON SPEND PLAN June 9, 2014 FINAL" NARRATIVE: A SHARED DISASTER ‘This narrative for the Tanana Chiefs Conference (TCC) Capacity Building portion of the salmon disaster spend plan is based on a single premise: How do we all work together to protect, enhance and restore future runs of Chinook and chum salmon for the Yukon and Kuskokwim rivers? ‘The Spend Plan addresses the Yukon River Chinook disaster years of 2011-2012, but since that time, the situation has gotten even more grim so that in 2014 there is an historic mandatory and voluntary stand-down of all Chinook salmon fishing on the Yukon River, This is the first ever this has happened for subsistence fisheries, (See attached June 2014 report on stock status from ADF&G.) The situation is so critical that extreme measures are being considered to avoid any Chinook by-catch and to protect habitat. The disaster relief beneficiaries were multi-fold. ‘The original petition for disaster relief in Western Alaska came from the Association of Village Council Presidents and the Alaska Federation of Natives to the State of Alaska, In her letter from the State of Alaska to the Alaskan Congressional Delegation of November 8, 2012, Commissioner Susan Bell of the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development, addressed disaster impacts on subsistence fishers, commercial permit holders and on the resource, especially the need for greater research. Because no one has yet been able to quantify subsistence impacts (which are extreme), there was no specific compensation level tied to that sector. Even if we could quantify all subsistence users, monetary compensation to each one out of this disaster relief would amount to virtually nothing. TCC, AVCP and YDFDA have all recognized research, enhancement, communications, education and gear modification as more responsive to the needs of subsistence users and to the resource problem itself, MULTI-JURISDICTIONAL MANAGEMENT It is not only subsistence users who are fecling the loss of Chinook. There are several hundred commercial permit holders who must also stand down, with a cumulative financial loss in the millions, as well as over 40,000 recreational users. Avoiding incidental catch while fishing other species is an additional concern. Depending on the location and regulations, subsistence users fish with very modest and sometimes * Written by Gale K. Vick for and approved by Tanana Chiefs Conference TCC / SCOPE OF WORK / SALMON SPEND PLAN FINAL JUNE9,2014 Page 1 140087 - ADFG -090011- COBUDGET: CAPACITY BUILDING: YUKON RIVER DRAINAGE TANANA CHIEFS CONFERENCE REGION One of the most important ways to mitigate the impacts of loss of Chinook salmon and to provide for an optimal in-river way to protect, enhance and restore Chinook stocks, is to fully engage the thousands of subsistence, commercial and recreational users along the river systems and within the urban hubs adjacent to the tributaries. This means relief for gear modification as well as a deliberate communications and education effort to allow people to participate in the multitude of decisions that will impact their lives PROPOSED TOTAL: $1,250,000.00 3 years’? Gear Modification $450,000.00 Outreach and Communications $450,000.00 Education $350,000.00 GEAR MODIFICATIONS: $450,000.00 ‘The following budget will help TCC to assist — over a 3-year period - subsistence permit holders with gear modifications needed for incidental catch avoidance (Chinook), for reaching the goals mentioned above. (1) Based on discussions with community representatives a. Gear modifications most appropriate to each sub-region to be implemented in the Spring of 2015 and subsequent years as necessary. b, Ways to provide for procurement and distribution (2) Modifications to fish wheels purchase or construction of dip nets modifications to gill nets as allowed other modifications Bese OUTREACH AND COMMUNICATIONS: $450,000.00 3 year period (1) Annual river meetings x 3 years, $225,000.00 (2) On-site visitation for 40+communities 75,000.00 (3) Half-time salmon coordinator x 3 years 150,000.00 As can easily be seen by the narrative on the vastness of the Tanana Chiefs Conference region, communications capabilities are limited. There is not much that can take the place of face-to-face discussions to help build consensus on how each community can understand the importance of working together on conservation of Chinook and possibly chum. There are many important decisions that must be made by local people in different 7 Anticipating that this amount will be reduced by administrative costs. TCC / SCOPE OF WORK / SALMON SPEND PLAN FINAL JUNE9,2014 Page 13 140087 - ADFG - 090028- COsub-regions regarding potential enhancement projects and conservation methodology, as well as the complexity of management systems. A single multi-day meeting of representatives from up and down the Yukon can cost as much as $75,000 or more for a total of $225,000 for three years. (1) Bring Yukon River community representatives, including communities in Canada, to Fairbanks for an annual 3 day working meeting to discuss: a. Discuss and provide input into a regional comprehensive plan that would be the necessary pre-curser to restoration and/or enhancement projects b. all aspects of local participation in reducing incidental catch of Chinook ©. protecting and enhancing Chinook habitat, ,_methods for restoration of species through possible enhancement methods i, ways to research and analyze ii, listening to various researchers and managers iii. deciding what options might work best iv. deciding how to implement those options €. discussing methods for local data gathering £ discussing methods for utilization of local and traditional knowledge (LTK) and local environmental knowledge (TEK) gleaming about developments in escapement management, resource assessments, and policies h, discussing on-going research and criteria assessing localized participation methodologies issues of food security, coping mechanisms in the loss of essential subsistence food ways to provide for substitute resources 1. meet with researchers, managers, regulators, etc, in question and answers regarding stock status, management, etc. (2) Conduct on-site visitations over a 3 year period by a small group of administrators, regulators, resource managers, researchers" and others to meet one time with 40+ communities at an anticipated cost of $75,000 to meet with the entire community on: a. Discussion of status of overall stocks b. Discussion of status of localized habitat cc. Discussion and distribution of materials on conservation practices 4. Fact gathering at each community on how they are implementing conservation practices (3) Half-time salmon coordinator position for 3 years $150,000.00 To provide logistical support for implementation of all proposed projects. '® Agencies and others would be working within their own budgets as much as possible TCC / SCOPE OF WORK / SALMON SPEND PLAN FINAL JUNE9,2014 Page 14 140067 - ADFG - 090024. COidentifying natural barriers to fish passage such as beaver dams, debris identifying riparian habitat that is more beneficial to salmon stream health gathering and relating information from elders on habitat protection identifying best traditional and non-traditional practices for conservation of resource geiting students to write about best practices and distribute that information > creating general interest in fish biology or hydrology vvvy ao This portion will provide materials and on-site instruction, monitoring and evaluations of the project, as well as coordination for up to 10 river communities per season in 2015, 2016, 2017 at a cost of approximately $10,000 or less per community per year. In addition, this portion of the project seeks to: > Create and distribute materials to educate all river communities (including the urban communities) on how to utilized best practices in incidental catch avoidance, avoiding disturbance of spawning beds, avoiding interference or impediments to salmon runs > Create and distribute materials for community residents on the various components of Yukon River Chinook management and how to better understand and participate, FINAL GOAL: A Retum of the King! Gale and Chinook - FV Silverload ~ Prince William Sound July 2005 ‘TACHMENTS: (1) Roads and towns map of the Yukon River (2) “AYK-Chinook Salmon Stock Status Update June 2014” (Alaska Department of Fish and Game) (3) TCC/AVCP regions communities chart TCC / SCOPE OF WORK / SALMON SPEND PLAN FINAL JUNE 9, 2014 Page 16 140087 - ADF - o09026- CO