The Coastal Multi-Species Conservation and Management Plan (CMP) is being developed to understand and determine the fish management needs for the conservation of anadromous salmonids along much of the Oregon coast. The CMP will also be used to determine fish management actions relative to present and future fishing opportunities in this area. The CMP will address the following Species Management Units (SMU): Chinook salmon (spring and fall populations), chum salmon, steelhead (summer and winter populations), and cutthroat trout. The area covered by the plan ranges from the Necanicum River in the north to Elk River in the south. A conservation assessment and plan for coho salmon have already been developed and adopted by the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission (OFWC). Therefore, the CMP will not assess or address coho populations, although some coho information will be included for a complete "picture" of all anadromous salmonids.


Given the inherent complexity of incorporating the management of multiple species for both conservation and utilization (e.g., harvest and hatcheries) purposes into a plan, a time-sequenced public process is being used to ensure stakeholders and the general public have multiple opportunities for review and input as ODFW develops the CMP. The initial focus of plan development was on technical analyses and preparation of an initial draft plan (dated 6/5/13, available below) that depicts the full, coast-wide conservation and utilization approach across basins and species. The initial draft CMP was developed with the input of four Stakeholder Teams distributed along the coast, an independent, scientific opinion survey west of the Cascades, and habitat experts working on the coast. The stakeholders, an independent science team (i.e., the Independent Multidisciplinary Science Team [IMST]), and the public have reviewed and commented on initial drafts of the CMP, which is currently being revised again for presentation to the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission for final review and adoption.


In a related process, public proposals, submitted as part of the 2012 public process to develop statewide angling regulations (which will take effect in 2013), that addressed conservation or fishery management issues for species covered in the CMP received initial ODFW staff review. Those proposals which passed review were deferred into the CMP development process in order to assure that they did not conflict with the direction which will be established by this CMP. These deferred proposals will be considered and evaluated during the plan development process. Proposals that are consistent with the CMP will be presented to the OFWC for inclusion in angling regulations taking effect in 2014 or 2015.


Species/Units covered
Chinook salmon (Coastal SMU, spring and fall populations)
Chum salmon (Coastal SMU)
Steelhead (Coastal SMU, summer and winter populations)
Cutthroat Trout (Coastal SMU)


Contact: [email protected]