I have been asked why there has been so little discussion about the Deschutes Basin Habitat Conservation Plan now that it is final, so here are a few quick comments. It does appear that there have been marginal improvements in the HCP compared to the last draft. There are loopholes, however, so it’s debatable. Regardless, as someone who advocates for fish, wildlife, and river recreation, the HCP remains deeply disappointing. Flows in the Upper Deschutes will be increased far too slowly and remain unstable. There will be no real improvement in the even more disastrous flows in the Middle Deschutes. The Crooked River will continue to suffer from both low flows and high levels of pollution from agricultural runoff.

The HCP remains fundamentally tilted towards irrigators and away from fish, wildlife, and recreation. The next step will be to compare the HCP with the Biological Opinion, due by the end of the year. The BiOp is US Fish & Wildlife’s statement of the needs of endangered river species in the Deschutes Basin. Litigation will likely occur if the BiOp is viewed to be insufficient or if the HCP does not do enough to implement the findings of the BiOp. So, we are in waiting mode, other than pondering, how could the HCP be completed before the BiOp? How could you have a plan before the final statement of the needs of the species the plan is supposed to protect? Things that make you go hmm…