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<br />potential. The watersheds should have established Riparian Habitat Conservation Ar- <br />eas (RHCA's) with specific riparian management objectives (RMO's) designed to modi- <br />fy, postpone, or cancel any .unacceptable risk. activities that may cause habitat to <br />decline and populations to decrease such that the continued existence of the popula- <br />tion within priority watersheds is at risk. For activities or groups of activities, which could <br />include grazing, mining, timber harvest, roading, etc. which are considered to pose an <br />unacceptable risk to the population, a preferred course of action should be identified <br />and implemented, through NEPA and Forest Plan amendment, to ensure that they no <br />longer pose unacceptable risk to subspecies restoration. In order for any naturalization <br />of watersheds to occur, the cause must be treated, not just the symptom of the <br />ecological disruption. Ecosystem assessments at the forest planning level should be <br />completed at the watershed and sub-basin scales to enhance these management <br />efforts. <br /> <br />3. State and federal agencies should cooperate, along with all their respective local <br />publics and conservation group partners, in developing and implementing sub-species <br />specific conservation strategies and agreements that provide for establishment of <br />genetically pure BCT populations within sub-basins of their historic occurrence. Each <br />sub-basin should be assigned a specific number of waters, viable population sizes, and <br />habitat condition to assure adequate recovery within each major geographic area of <br />occurrence, i.e. Western Bonneville population, Northern Bonneville, etc. <br /> <br />4. Restoration efforts should focus on multiple species management within aquatic eco- <br />systems in sub-basins rather than single species management. Indigenous non-game <br />fish, and other aquatic biota must be considered as they share the same stream <br />systems. It should be a standard practice to also provide for these biota rather than <br />placing them at risk, and pushing them towards federal listing status and possible <br />extinction. <br /> <br />5. Metapopulation dynamics should be considered, where possible, to enhance protec- <br />tion of phenotypic and genetic diversity of populations as well as enhancing long term <br />population viability. Conventional land-use management has compromised the metap- <br />opulation process and natural stream mosaic patterns and habitat conditions of historic <br />BCT populations. The creation and maintenance of a more natural mosaic stream - <br />habitat interchange within sub-basins should commence wherever possible. The natu- <br />ralization of certain watersheds to resemble predisturbance conditions will increase <br />populations chances for future survival. <br /> <br />6. States, through their management plans, should emphasize indigenous species resto- <br />ration, both for scientific uses and recreational public purposes. The designation of both <br />.conservation. and .management. populations within sub-basins would enhance scien- <br />tific and biological integrity of BCT populations, while at same time allowing the public <br />user to benefit from a unique resource specific to local cultural heritage. <br /> <br />SUMMARY <br /> <br />The recovery of the BCT within the Bonneville Basin must continue to focus on an integrated <br />ecosystem approach within priority sub-basins and watersheds. State and federal agency coopera- <br />tion and communication in aCT program emphasis must be stressed, as well as responsibility to and <br />accountability for management activities and decision making. Accomplishment of this responsibility <br /> <br />56 <br />