OREGON CHAPTER AFS 2007 ANNUAL MEETING (click for abstracts)

“Big Fish and Big Dams: Complexities, Controversies, and Opportunities”
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 The 2007 Oregon Chapter AFS Annual Meeting will be held February 27-March 2, at the Hilton Hotel, Eugene, Oregon.  If you have an interest in chairing or speaking in one of the technical sessions, presenting a poster, have other session topics to propose, or want to volunteer for the many fun and important tasks we have available, please contact Doug Young, Annual Meeting Program Chair, at 503-231-6914 or doug_young@fws.gov

 The 2007 Annual Meeting theme addresses the multitude of fish conservation and management issues associated with Oregon’s large dams: new and ongoing efforts to reintroduce native fish over impassable dams; dam removal; new fish ladders; improved fish ladders; complex species interactions resulting from new or improved passage.  Eugene will be a fine location to host this Annual Meeting Theme, as numerous efforts (including Eugene Water and Electric Board hydroproject relicensing efforts in the McKenzie and Corps of Engineers fish passage activities in multiple Willamette tributaries) are underway to improve connectivity within Oregon’s river basins.

 Workshops (February 27-28):

• Reintroducing Native Fish Species: the art and science of designing and implementing fish translocation projects (Jason Dunham jdunham@usgs.gov)
• Spring Chinook Angling and Conservation Workshop (cancelled): featuring famous NW guides providing educational and informative presentations and hands-on demonstrations of spring Chinook angling gear and techniques and group discussion on the sportfishers’ role in fish conservation and management (Bill Shake bill.shake.1@verizon.net)
• Finding Funds for Fish: Grant Writing Techniques (canelled): how to fund fish projects in the age of diminishing budgets (Nikki Swanson nswanson@fs.fed.us)

 Plenary Speakers:

• February 28: Virgil Moore, Director, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.  Virgil will join us for his first Oregon Chapter Annual Meeting while in his new ODFW leadership role.  Virgil has been a strong supporter of AFS during his previous career at Idaho Department of Fish and Wildlife, and we hope Virgil will continue his strong support of AFS here in Oregon.
• March 1: Phil Pister, Executive Secretary, Desert Fishes Council.  Phil studied wildlife conservation and zoology under Starker Leopold at UC Berkeley, and spent 38 years as a fish biologist with California Department of Fish and Game. Phil has shown exceptional leadership in the struggle to preserve and protect desert fish populations throughout the southwestern US and Mexico.  Phil is an excellent speaker, and challenges his audiences to practice a strong environmental ethic.

 Technical Sessions (February 28-March 2):  The following are Sessions that have been confirmed.  Suggestions for other technical sessions also are welcome, especially those related to the Annual Meeting theme.  Contact the Session Chair(s) listed below if you are interested in presenting – or volunteer to be a Session Chair for a topic you’re interested in! 

      Implementation of Native Species Reintroductions
      (Chris Allen, 503-231-6179 chris_allen@fws.gov)

      The Pelton-Round Butte Story
      (Don Ratliff 541-475-1338 donald.ratliff@pgn.com)

      Redband Trout–Migrations in the Desert
      (Roger Smith 541-883-5732 roger.c.smith@state.or.us)

      Data Management / Data Sharing
      (Brian Burke 206-860-3486 brian.burke@noaa.gov)

      Stream Restoration: New Concepts and Strategies
      (Bianca Streif 503-231-6179 bianca_streif@fws.gov)

      Salmon and Estuaries
      (Pete Lawson 541-867-0430 peter.w.lawson@noaa.gov)

      Good Chubs and other Small Fish: Non-game Fisheries Research in Oregon
      (David Simon 541-737-1977 simond@onid.orst.edu)

      Long-Term Monitoring
      (Paul Burns 541-902-6953 pnburns@fs.fed.us)

      Evaluation of Salmonid Production in Management Decisions for Hydroproject Relicensing      
      (Sharon Kramer 707-822-9607 X204 sharon@stillwatersci.com)

      The Many Faces of Beaver: Castor canadensis’s Search for Identity in Salmon Recovery  
      (keystone species, furbearer, or pest?)
      (Jeff Rodgers and Kelly Moore 541-757-4263 X231 jeff.rodgers@oregonstate.edu   
      kelly.moore@oregonstate.edu)

      Columbia River Basin Issues
      (Tom Iverson 503-229-0191 Tom.Iverson@cbfwa.org)

      Marine Session
      (Steve Parker 541-867-0300 256   steve.parker@oregonstate.edu) 

      Diamond Lake Mini-Session
(Dave Loomis      541-440-3353 X224 David.W.Loomis@state.or.us)

      Deschutes River Summer Steelhead: What have we learned in 30 years of monitoring
(Rod French 541-296-4628  Rod.A.French@state.or.us)

Willamette River Dams: Reintroductions & Recovery of Anadromous Fish
(Jeff Ziller 541-726-3515 X26   Jeffrey.S.Ziller@state.or.us)

Graduate Student Papers
(Ben Clemens 541-737-2463  Ben.Clemens@oregonstate.edu)

Contributed Paper Sessions
(need session chairs)

 Program Chair: Doug Young 503-231-6914  doug_young@fws.gov

 Poster Session (February 28): We will have a full poster session in 2007. The Poster Session will be combined with a Chapter social event. Contact Christy Fellas, Poster Session Chair, at 503-231-2307, or christina.fellas@noaa.gov  Poster session tips and hints!

Student-Mentor Session (Match-the-Hatch): We will again provide the opportunity to link experienced professionals with students with similar interests. more>

Luncheon and Awards: Network during the Thursday luncheon and awards presentation.

Spawning Run:  Early risers on Thursday, work out your lungs with a morning run and have a chance to win prizes.

Thursday Evening Social: The pre-banquet social will offer subsidized microbrew, wine, and non-alcoholic refreshments.

Banquet, Awards, Raffle, and Auction: Plan on an entertaining evening with friends, good food, silent and oral auctions, award ceremony, and more microbrew and non-alcoholic beverages.

Entertainment: The DJ-Karaoke Party is worthy of an encore.  After last year’s trial run, the Texas Hold’em event will be back for another round and will be held in conjunction with the DJ-Karaoke Party. Visit the Chapter website for updates: www.orafs.org.  

“NEW” Business Meeting: The annual business meeting and ExCom officer elections will be convened separately this year and is scheduled for FRIDAY MORNING. Timely issues will be discussed that require member-input , so plan to attend!

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