Background: The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) was petitioned under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in 1994 to protect chum salmon in Discovery Bay, Sequim Bay, Hood Canal and southern Puget Sound. In response to this petition and because of the agency's concern about the overall health of Pacific salmon, the agency began scientific reviews of not only chum salmon, but coho, chinook, sockeye and pink salmon, and steelhead and cutthroat trout along the entire West Coast. The scientific review resulted in proposed listings in March 1998 for two distinct groups, or Evolutionarily Significant Units (ESUs), of chum salmon: the Hood Canal summer-run ESU and a Columbia River ESU. NMFS proposed both of these ESUs for listing as threatened under the ESA, and also proposed areas qualifying as their critical habitat.The Fisheries Service has now made a final listing determination for these two populations of chum salmon.
 
Special Features: Chum spawn in the lowermost reaches of rivers and streams. They migrate almost immediately after hatching to estuarine and ocean waters, in contrast toother salmonids, which migrate to sea after months or even years in fresh water. The species has only a single, sea-run form, and does not live in fresh water.
 
Scientific Findings: NMFS reviewed new information and public comments on the proposed ESUs, and has concluded that both warrant listing under the ESA. Available information supports the agency's finding that both ESUs meet the definition of a threatened species, that they are likely to become endangered in the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of their ranges. Hood Canal summer-run chum have disappeared from several streams, and many other streams have experienced severe declines over the past twenty years. Summer-run chum returns to some areas increased in 1995 and 1996 (at least partially because of new hatchery production), but many other streams continue to have few or no returning spawners. Chum salmon in the Columbia River are now limited to areas downstream of Bonneville Dam, and number just a small fraction of their previous abundance. Annual returns now vary between 1,500 and 4,000 fish, compared to as many as 500,000 fish before 1944.
 
What's Next: The listings will become effective in 60 days. At that time, federal rules will go into effect, but they will affect only activities on federal lands or projects that require a federal permit. On non-federal lands, other so-called "4(d) rules" (protective regulations) will be proposed later. They will be tailored to mesh with whatever efforts have already been made by state, tribal and local conservation initiatives. The agency will make final critical habitat designations for the listed chum salmon ESUs by March 2000.
 
Get more information on these listings by visiting the National Marine Fisheries Service's Website at www.nwr.noaa.gov; by contacting Garth Griffin, NMFS Protected Resources Division, 525 NE Oregon St., Suite 500, Portland, OR, 97232; or by calling 503-230-5400.