The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries) asked Oregon Consensus, in partnership with the William D. Ruckelshaus Center, a joint program of Washington State University and the University of Washington, to conduct a situation assessment of regional views about salmon and steelhead recovery planning in the Columbia River Basin over the long term. A situation assessment is an interview-based process undertaken to better understand and explore relevant issues and interests of involved parties and situation dynamics. An assessment team featuring practitioner and academic expertise from Washington, Oregon and Idaho interviewed a broad range of regional parties to capture the full range of perspectives. For more information, contact Oregon Consensus Director Peter Harkema, or Ruckelshaus Center Project Coordinator Amanda Murphy.
View final assessment report (PDF)
Read about a subsequent Oregon Consensus project with the Columbia Basin Partnership.
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In 2020, the the Columbia Basin Partnership, which was formed in response to the Oregon Consensus assessment, published its Phase 2 report reflecting the group’s agreement on a vision, qualitative and quantitative goals for the 27 Columbia Basin salmon and steelhead stocks, key messages, and recommendations for a path forward. In addition, the report includes useful information for future decision-makers about how best to achieve the partnership goals, including biological and other strategies, a range of alternative scenarios, and a collection of regional stories and perspectives captured in social, cultural, economic, and ecological considerations.
Read the Phase 2 Report of the Columbia Basin Partnership on the NOAA Fisheries website.