Snake River Sockeye Salmon Production Program

NOAA Fisheries is inviting comments on a Hatchery and Genetic Management Plan (HGMP) and an Environmental Assessment (EA). The HGMP specifies a hatchery program dealing with recovering and restoring the natural population of Snake River sockeye salmon through a captive broodstock program in the Sawtooth Valley of Idaho. The HGMP describes the program in detail, including monitoring and evaluation to assess performance in meeting conservation and supplementation objectives and their effects on ESA-listed sockeye salmon.

The hatchery program is intended to:

• Supplement or support local natural salmon populations.
• Mitigate for fish losses caused by the construction and operation of the four dams on the Lower Snake River, and effects of climate change on their natural habitat.

This hatchery program is currently in operation in the Snake River Basin, and NOAA Fisheries is considering reissuing section 10(a)(1)(A) determination for the sockeye salmon hatchery programs spawning, rearing, and releasing salmon in the Snake River Basin.

The hatchery programs would continue to take Endangered Species Act-listed adult and juvenile sockeye salmon annually and are consistent with NOAA Fisheries’ Recovery Plans. NOAA Fisheries is requesting public comment on the HGMP and the EA for 30 days. The public comment can be submitted to hatcheries.public.comment@noaa.gov with a subject line of “Snake River Sockeye Salmon Production Program”, through September 7, 2023.

For more information on these hatchery programs and to provide public comment, please visit our website. If you have any questions, please contact Andreas Raisch at 503-230-5405; andreas.raisch@noaa.gov.