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means matching captive conditions to natural conditions. This can include matching natural photoperiods, water flow rates, substrates, submerged and overhead cover types, turbidity levels, temperature, water chemistry, etc. (Wiley et al. 1993, Maynard et al. 1995). Pre-release training programs are designed to teach fish skills that they will need to survive in the wild (Suboski and Templeton 1989, Brown and Laland 2001). Primarily, these include exposure to predators and natural food types (see reviews in Olla et al. 1998, Brown and Day 2002). Pre-release training does not need to be cost intensive, and can be initiated only a few days prior to release in order to obtain positive results (Brown and Day 2002). Soft release protocols (e.g., holding fish in pens for a period of a few days at the release site) enable fish to recover from stress of transport, become accustomed to the natural environment (temperature, water chemistry, current, etc.), and allows them to develop social bonds. This acclimatization period can significantly decrease mortality (see Brown and Day 2002 for review). Other major concerns relating to release of captive bred individuals into the wild relate to transmission of parasites and changes in habitat utilization (Utter 1998, Waples and Drake 2002). Is a captive broodstock of humpback chub needed? Given the above information, managers will still need to decide if a captive brood stock is needed, and know what it will contribute. Our best assessment as to the predicted status of humpback chub follows Coggins et al. (2003). "Straight-line extrapolation of the recent trend estimates would imply a significant risk of extinction for the LCR spawning population within the next 10-15 years. However, this prediction is not supported by estimates of recruitment rates of 2-year old fish. Those rates appear to have been relatively stable since the early 1990s, though at considerably lower levels than would be needed to maintain the spawning population at 1989 levels. If recruitments continue to be stable, we predict that the spawning population will soon stop declining, and will stabilize at an average spawning abundance of roughly 50% of its current level, and that average will most likely be between 1,000 and 2,500 fish. That is, the assessment data do not in fact support demands for emergency policy actions." Captive propagation is not included in the most recent Recovery Goals for the humpback chub, and therefore should not be undertaken as a recovery option. Since Recovery Plans must be reviewed every five years (ESA 1973), and the species is not in immediate risk of extinction, development of a captive brood stock could be listed as an option for recovery in the near future. It should primarily be considered at this point as a significant commitment to mitigate the past 50 years of Federal water development in the basin. From a policy standpoint, the USFWS and NOAA (U.S. Office of Federal Register 65:183 [2000]: 56916-56922), and the scientific community (e.g., Nehlsen et al. 1991, Philippart 1995, Snyder et al. 1996), make it clear that captive broodstock activities should be considered as a last option for recovery. Although some alternative conservation measures have been undertaken (Le., fluctuating flows have been modified, and some short-term flow experiments have been performed), other options that may improve the humpback chub population should be made available (e.g., 16