Classroom Enhancement Grants

The proposed agreement outlines a strategic plan to support the timely implementation of the Willamette Valley System Environmental Impact Statement (WS EIS) and Adaptive Management (AM) Plan. This work is fundamentally aligned with the mission of improving environmental management and decision-making, particularly concerning the preservation and recovery of protected fish species. The core of the program involves developing and applying advanced simulation and modeling tools, which will then be transferred to managing agencies for sustained, informed implementation. This approach supports a theory of change rooted in enhancing technical capacity and leveraging scientific modeling to inform real-time management direction, thereby reducing uncertainty and improving ecological outcomes. The primary target beneficiaries and impact goals center on Upper Willamette River Spring Chinook and winter steelhead. The proposed work explicitly includes completing the analysis of effects of the preferred alternative on these species, supporting the completion of the final EIS. The ultimate impact goal is to facilitate a more informed management decision leading to the conservation and recovery of these fish populations. This is achieved by ensuring that management strategies are continually updated with the best available data and refined through robust analytical tools, maximizing the positive environmental return on investment. The priorities and focuses of this proposed work are three-fold: 1) the development and transfer of simulation tools (like lifecycle modeling and refined downstream passage modeling using the Corps Fish Benefit Workbook) to managing agencies; 2) the demonstrated application of these simulations to guide management under conditions of uncertainty; and 3) the continuous incorporation of new, best-available data to update and refine the simulation models. A major focus is the refinement of the Corps Fish Benefit Workbook (FBW), recently converted to R, to address previous structural limitations, and the development and delivery of lifecycle models for future use by the USACE and other parties. The expected outcomes include the successful completion of analysis to support the final EIS and the establishment of a rigorous adaptive management framework. Measurable results include the explicit quantification of objectives, performance, uncertainty, risk, and value of information within this framework. This structured approach is expected to lead to resource managers being able to efficiently update testable hypotheses, effectively use limited or disparate data, reduce analytical timelines, and efficiently prioritize monitoring data collection when faced with logistical or funding obstacles, ultimately ensuring efficient use of taxpayer dollars. Implementation and adaptive management are slated to begin during the remainder of 2025 and continue in future years, following the signing of a record of decision.