2011 Yukon River Salmon Research and Management Projects

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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) receives funds for implementation of the Yukon River Salmon Agreement reached with Canada in March 2001. The Yukon River Salmon Act of 2000 authorizes funds for implementation of the Agreement including funds for cooperative research and management projects on the Alaska portion of the Yukon River. The Service administers these funds through financial assistance on a competitive basis for projects/studies that advance the scientific community’s understanding of and management of Chinook and chum salmon in the Yukon River of Alaska. This is a call for initial project proposals of one year in length. Successful applicants will be asked to submit detailed proposals. The initial project proposals will be evaluated by the U.S. Section of the Yukon River Panel (Panel). Authors of selected initial proposals will be notified by the Service to submit detailed proposals for final review. The Panel reserves the right to ask questions for clarification and conduct negotiations with promising proposal authors prior to final selection. The Panel also reserves the right to eliminate from consideration any proposals whose author does not provide clarification in a timely manner, if and when clarification is sought. Panel recommendations on project selections will be forwarded to the Service for consideration of funding. The Service will then develop and award the financial assistance documents funding the final proposals that meet all federal requirements and for which funding is available. Currently the source of general funding is appropriated funds directed to the Service. The funds shall be used for cooperative Chinook and chum salmon research and management projects in the portion of the Yukon River drainage located in the United States that are recommended by the Panel after review for scientific and technical merit. Priorities for funding are: ● Assess and achieve fishery management objectives. ● Assess, conserve and restore salmon habitats. ● Improve the understanding of salmon biology and ecology. ● Build and maintain public support of, and meaningful participation in, salmon resource management. The following is a list of projects that were funded under the program last year: • Building & Maintaining Public Support of Salmon Resource Management. • Chandalar River fall chum Age, Sex, and Length collection. • East Fork Andreafsky River Chinook Salmon Carcass Survey. • The Yukon River Sub-district 5A Test Fish Wheel Project. • Technical Assistance, Development, and Support to Tanana River Fish Wheel Salmon Monitoring Projects using Remote Video Technology. • Pilot Station Exploratory Testfishing. • Mountain Village Fall Season Gillnet Test Fishery. • Salcha River Chinook and Chum Salmon Counting Tower, 2010. • Anvik Sonar Site Relocation. • Pilot Station Extended Field Operations. • Exploring the relationship between Chinook salmon growth and fecundity.

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