During the 1997 legislative session, the Oregon Legislature passed into law the Oregon Plan for Salmon and Watersheds (OPSW). The initiative outlined a conservation plan for protecting and improving salmon and salmon habitat. Although the plan was initially tailored to address coho concerns, it has evolved to address other species throughout Oregon. As such, policies therein apply to the entire state of Oregon.
During the process of drafting the Oregon Plan, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) described nine critical elements of a conservation plan. Five of those elements relate directly to monitoring. The monitoring component of the Oregon Plan requires significant coordination. An OPSW monitoring team was formed in 1995 to coordinate and integrate monitoring approaches among agencies. Together these agencies are monitoring status and trends of fish and fish habitat and program implementation and effectiveness.
Coastal Coho Assessment
The State of Oregon and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries) are engaged in a collaborative project to address the conservation of coastal coho on the Oregon Coast.
