Common use of CONSERVE GENETIC INTEGRITY AND AUGMENT OR RESTORE POPULATIONS Clause in Contracts

CONSERVE GENETIC INTEGRITY AND AUGMENT OR RESTORE POPULATIONS. ‌ Species recovery depends on protecting and managing species genetic resources. This is a complex activity that includes: determining the genetic diversity of the endangered fishes; protecting species in refuges; planning, developing, and operating propagation facilities; propagating fish for augmentation or restoration, research, and information and education; and planning, implementing, and evaluating augmentation or restoration of species. Stocking is only an interim tool in the Recovery Program because recovery, by definition, implies that the populations will be self-sustaining in the wild. The success of augmentation and restoration stocking is dependent on prior or concurrent implementation of other recovery actions such as flow protection, habitat restoration, and management of nonnative fishes. This dependency is reflected in the schedule of subbasin-specific actions in Section 4.0. Studies to confirm genetic diversity have been vital to genetics management of the endangered fishes. Species are being protected in refuges to develop broodstocks and guard against catastrophe. Representatives of species thought to be in immediate danger of extinction are brought into refuge immediately. Refuge populations of species are developed using paired breeding matrices to maximize genetic variability and maintain genetic integrity. Most of this work is included under the General Recovery Program Support Action Plan because it applies to the entire Upper Basin. Subbasin-specific activities of augmenting or restoring species are placed under the subbasin Action Plans. Augmentation or restoration plans are being implemented, fish produced, and river reaches restored and augmented with those fish. The effects of these augmentation efforts need to be monitored and evaluated. Four basic documents are used to plan, implement, and coordinate genetics management and artificial propagation for the endangered fishes. These are the Genetics Management Guidelines (Xxxxxxxxxx and Xxxxxxxx 1994), Genetics Management Plan (Xxxxxx 1999), Coordinated Hatchery Facility Plan (Wydowski 1994), and the Revised Integrated Stocking Plan (Integrated Stocking Plan Revision Committee 2015). All four of these plans have been developed and will be revised or updated as needed. The Genetics Management Guidelines document provides the rationale, genetics concepts, and genetic risks to be considered in genetics-management planning and implementation. For example, it indicates that a fish population is the fundamental unit of genetics management and that its definition and characterization, relative to other populations, are important. Genetic surveys have been part of the identification and characterization process. Further, the prioritization and genetics management required for each population is determined by its relative population status, demographic trends, and genetics data derived from the surveys. The Genetics Management Plan is the operational document. It tells the "what, who, when, where" of implementation. It identifies specific objectives, tasks, activities, and type of facilities necessary to accomplish Recovery Program goals, i.e., protect population genetic integrity or restore a self-sustaining population in the wild. It is the action plan developed for implementation, directed by the Recovery Program goals, and structured along the format presented in the Genetics Management Planning Guidelines document. Facilities are required to meet long-term (5 years or more) augmentation and restoration stocking needs. The plans for these facilities are the Coordinated Hatchery Facility Plan and the Facilities Plan. These plans, in accordance with the Genetics Management Plan, define facilities required to meet propagation needs, identify fish needs that can be met by existing facilities, and recommend expansion or modification of existing facilities. Genetics management requires a great deal of operational activity. Refuge and propagation facilities have been planned, built, and are now operated in a coordinated fashion. The State of Colorado operates the X. X. Xxxxx Native Aquatic Species Restoration Facility in Alamosa, Colorado. The State of Utah raises bonytail at the Wahweap State Fish Hatchery in Big Water, Utah. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service operates the Ouray National Fish Hatchery with units near Grand Junction, Colorado (Grand Valley Unit) and Vernal, Utah (Randlett Unit). With a few exceptions, these facilities have achieved their stocking targets for the past six years. The Integrated Stocking Plan (Xxxxxx et al. 2003) provides specific annual numbers of fish and their sizes to be produced at Recovery Program hatcheries and stocked into Upper Colorado River Basin river reaches. The plan was implemented for over 10 years before being revised based on estimates of survival of stocked fish. The revised stocking plan (Integrated Stocking Plan Revision Committee 2015) recommends stocking larger bonytail and razorback sucker and releasing bonytail in floodplain habitats and backwaters instead of canyon-bound reaches, since new information suggests floodplains may be more suitable habitat. Revisions to augmentation and restoration stocking (primarily for razorback sucker and bonytail) are intended to directly aid in recovery of the species and to establish fish in the system to be able to demonstrate that habitat and instream flow activities are having an effect on endangered fish recovery. Despite implementation of the revised stocking plan, bonytail post-stocking survival continues to not meet expectations. Alternative diet studies, as well as flow training and anti-predator training efforts, are being considered by the Program in addition to ongoing evaluation of new stocking locations in efforts to increase post-stocking survival of bonytail. Humpback chub are not currently being stocked; however, augmentation of extirpated populations is being considered and additional brood fish from wild populations are being brought into hatcheries. A draft report on the genetics of Gila spp. (Xxxx et xx.xx review), including humpback chub, indicates historical hybridization (not anthropogenic) occurred between humpback chub and roundtail chub in Black Rocks. The authors identified two management units in the upper basin: Desolation-Cataract and Black Rocks-Westwater. Authors did not recommend separate broodstocks, rather that both management units be represented in a single Upper Basin broodstock, with individuals taken from multiple sites within each management unit to maintain genetic diversity.

CONSERVE GENETIC INTEGRITY AND AUGMENT OR RESTORE POPULATIONS. ‌ Species recovery depends on protecting and managing species genetic resources. This is a complex activity that includes: determining the genetic diversity of the endangered fishes; protecting species in refugesrefugia; planning, developing, and operating propagation facilities; propagating fish for augmentation or restoration, research, and information and education; and planning, implementing, and evaluating augmentation or restoration of species. Stocking is only an interim tool in the Recovery Program because recovery, by definition, implies that the populations will be self-sustaining in the wild. The success of augmentation and restoration stocking is dependent on prior or concurrent implementation of other recovery actions such as flow protection, habitat restoration, and management of nonnative fishes. This dependency is reflected in the schedule of subbasin-specific actions in Section 4.0. Studies to confirm genetic diversity have been vital to genetics management of the endangered fishes. Species are being protected in refuges refugia to develop broodstocks and guard against catastrophe. Representatives of species thought to be in immediate danger of extinction are brought into refuge refugia immediately. Refuge Refugia populations of species are developed using paired breeding matrices to maximize genetic variability and maintain genetic integrity. Most of this work is included under the General Recovery Program Support Action Plan because it applies to the entire Upper Basin. Subbasin-specific activities of augmenting or restoring species are placed under the subbasin Action Plans. Augmentation or restoration plans are being implemented, fish produced, and river reaches restored and augmented with those fish. The effects of these augmentation efforts need to be monitored and evaluated. Four basic documents are used to plan, implement, and coordinate genetics management and artificial propagation for the endangered fishes. These are the Genetics Management Guidelines (Xxxxxxxxxx and Xxxxxxxx 1994), Genetics Management Plan (Xxxxxx 1999), Coordinated Hatchery Facility Plan (Wydowski 1994), and the Revised Integrated Stocking Plan (Integrated Stocking Plan Revision Committee 2015). All four of these plans have been developed and will be revised or updated as needed. The Genetics Management Guidelines document provides the rationale, genetics concepts, and genetic risks to be considered in genetics-management planning and implementation. For example, it indicates that a fish population is the fundamental unit of genetics management and that its definition and characterization, relative to other populations, are important. Genetic surveys have been part of the identification and characterization process. Further, the prioritization and genetics management required for each population is determined by its relative population status, demographic trends, and genetics data derived from the surveys. The Genetics Management Plan is the operational document. It tells the "what, who, when, where" of implementation. It identifies specific objectives, tasks, activities, and type of facilities necessary to accomplish Recovery Program goals, i.e., protect population genetic integrity or restore a self-sustaining population in the wild. It is the action plan developed for implementation, directed by the Recovery Program goals, and structured along the format presented in the Genetics Management Planning Guidelines document. Facilities are required to meet long-term (5 years or more) augmentation and restoration stocking needs. The plans for these facilities are the Coordinated Hatchery Facility Plan and the Facilities Plan. These plans, in accordance with the Genetics Management Plan, define facilities required to meet propagation needs, identify fish needs that can be met by existing facilities, and recommend expansion or modification of existing facilities. Genetics management requires a great deal of operational activity. Refuge Refugia and propagation facilities have been planned, built, and are now operated in a coordinated fashion. The State of Colorado operates the X. X. Xxxxx Native Aquatic Species Restoration Facility in Alamosa, Colorado. The State of Utah raises bonytail at the Wahweap State Fish Hatchery in Big Water, Utah. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service operates the Ouray National Fish Hatchery with units near Grand Junction, Colorado (Grand Valley Unit) and Vernal, Utah (Randlett Unit). With a few exceptions, these facilities have achieved their stocking targets for the past six years. The Integrated Stocking Plan (Xxxxxx et al. 2003) provides provided specific annual numbers of fish and their sizes to be produced at Recovery Program hatcheries and stocked into Upper Colorado River Basin river reaches. The This plan was has been implemented for over 10 years before being and has been revised based on recent estimates of survival of the stocked fish. The revised stocking plan (Integrated Stocking Plan Revision Committee 2015) recommends stocking larger bonytail and razorback sucker suckers and releasing bonytail in floodplain habitats and backwaters instead of canyon-bound reaches, since new information suggests floodplains may be more suitable habitat. Revisions to augmentation and restoration stocking (primarily for razorback sucker and bonytail) are intended to directly aid in recovery of the species and to establish fish in the system to be able to demonstrate that habitat and instream flow activities are having an effect on endangered fish recovery. Despite implementation of the revised stocking plan, bonytail post-stocking survival continues to not meet expectations. Alternative diet studies, as well as flow training and anti-predator training efforts, are being considered by the Program in addition to ongoing evaluation of new stocking locations in efforts to increase post-stocking survival of bonytail. Humpback chub are not currently being stocked; however, augmentation of extirpated existing small populations is being considered and additional brood fish from wild populations are being brought into hatcheries. An ad hoc group reviewed the population and known genetics information from all the humpback populations and concluded that the Recovery Program should: 1) use a decision tree to guide choices in creating a refuge population and potentially stocking fish into the wild; and 2) genetically test, and if appropriate, use humpback chub collected from Westwater Canyon and Black Rocks and potentially Desolation Canyon to develop a refugia for Upper Colorado River Basin genetics. Those populations have been shown to genetically represent most populations in the upper basin (Xxxxxxx and Xxxxxxx 2007,). A draft report on the genetics of Gila spp. (Xxxx et xx.xx reviewXxxx, in prep), including humpback chub, indicates historical hybridization (not anthropogenic) occurred between humpback chub and roundtail chub in Black Rocks. The authors identified two management units in the upper basin: Desolation-Cataract and Black Rocks-Westwater. Authors did not recommend separate broodstocks, rather that both management units be represented in a single Upper Basin broodstock, with individuals taken from multiple sites within each management unit to maintain genetic diversity. Report will be finalized upon inclusion of Westwater samples.

CONSERVE GENETIC INTEGRITY AND AUGMENT OR RESTORE POPULATIONS. ‌ Species recovery depends on protecting and managing species genetic resources. This is a complex activity that includes: determining the genetic diversity of the endangered fishes; protecting species in refuges; planning, developing, and operating propagation facilities; propagating fish for augmentation or restoration, research, and information and education; and planning, implementing, and evaluating augmentation or restoration of species. Stocking is only an interim tool in the Recovery Program because recovery, by definition, implies that the populations will be self-sustaining in the wild. The success of augmentation and restoration stocking is dependent on prior or concurrent implementation of other recovery actions such as flow protection, habitat restoration, and management of nonnative fishes. This dependency is reflected in the schedule of subbasin-specific actions in Section 4.0. Studies to confirm genetic diversity have been vital to genetics management of the endangered fishes. Species are being protected in refuges to develop broodstocks and guard against catastrophe. Representatives of species thought to be in immediate danger of extinction are brought into refuge immediately. Refuge populations of species are developed using paired breeding matrices to maximize genetic variability and maintain genetic integrity. Most of this work is included under the General Recovery Program Support Action Plan because it applies to the entire Upper Basin. Subbasin-specific activities of augmenting or restoring species are placed under the subbasin Action Plans. Augmentation or restoration plans are being implemented, fish produced, and river reaches restored and augmented with those fish. The effects of these augmentation efforts need to be are monitored and evaluated. Four basic documents are used to plan, implement, and coordinate genetics management and artificial propagation for the endangered fishes. These are the Genetics Management Guidelines (Xxxxxxxxxx and Xxxxxxxx 1994), Genetics Management Plan (Xxxxxx 1999), Coordinated Hatchery Facility Plan (Wydowski 1994), and the Revised Integrated Stocking Plan (Integrated Stocking Plan Revision Committee 2015). All four of these plans have been developed and will be revised or updated as needed. The Genetics Management Guidelines document provides the rationale, genetics concepts, and genetic risks to be considered in genetics-management planning and implementation. For example, it indicates that a fish population is the fundamental unit of genetics management and that its definition and characterization, relative to other populations, are important. Genetic surveys have been part of the identification and characterization process. Further, the prioritization and genetics management required for each population is determined by its relative population status, demographic trends, and genetics data derived from the surveys. The Genetics Management Plan is the operational document. It tells the "what, who, when, where" of implementation. It identifies specific objectives, tasks, activities, and type of facilities necessary to accomplish Recovery Program goals, i.e., protect population genetic integrity or restore a self-sustaining population in the wild. It is the action plan developed for implementation, directed by the Recovery Program goals, and structured along the format presented in the Genetics Management Planning Guidelines document. Facilities are required to meet long-term (5 years or more) augmentation and restoration stocking needs. The plans for these facilities are were established in the Coordinated Hatchery Facility Plan and updated in the Facilities Revised Integrated Stocking Plan. These plans, in accordance with the Genetics Management Plan, define facilities required to meet propagation needs, identify fish needs that can be met by existing facilities, and recommend expansion or modification of existing facilities. Genetics management requires a great deal of operational activity. Refuge and propagation facilities have been planned, built, and are now operated in a coordinated fashion. The State of Colorado operates raises bonytail at the X. X. Xxxxx Native Aquatic Species Restoration Facility in Alamosa, Colorado. The State of Utah raises bonytail at the Wahweap State Fish Hatchery in Big Water, Utah. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service operates raises razorback sucker and bonytail at the Ouray National Fish Hatchery with units near Grand Junction, Colorado (Grand Valley Unit) and Vernal, Utah (Randlett Unit). With a few exceptions, these facilities have achieved their stocking targets for the past six yearsseveral decades. The Integrated Stocking Plan (Xxxxxx et al. 2003) provides provided specific annual numbers of fish and their sizes to be produced at Recovery Program hatcheries and stocked into Upper Colorado River Basin river reaches. The plan was implemented for over 10 years before being revised based on estimates of survival of stocked fish. The revised stocking plan (Integrated Stocking Plan Revision Committee 2015) recommends stocking larger bonytail and razorback sucker and releasing bonytail in floodplain habitats and backwaters instead of canyon-bound reaches, since new information suggests floodplains may be more suitable habitat. Revisions to augmentation and restoration stocking (primarily for razorback sucker and bonytail) are intended to directly aid in recovery of the species and to establish fish in the system to be able to demonstrate that habitat and instream flow activities are having an effect on endangered fish recovery. Despite implementation of the revised stocking plan, bonytail post-stocking survival continues does not yet meet target levels needed to not meet expectationsreach recovery. Alternative diet studies, as well as studies and flow training and are in progress while anti-predator training efforts, efforts are being considered by the Program Program, in addition to ongoing evaluation of new stocking locations in efforts to increase post-stocking survival of bonytail. Humpback chub are not currently being stocked; however, augmentation of extirpated populations is being considered and additional brood fish from wild populations are being brought into hatcheries. A draft final report on the genetics of Gila spp. (Xxxx et xx.xx reviewal. 2019), including humpback chub, indicates historical hybridization assessed genetic variability and uniqueness across the upper and lower basins. Major conclusions included: upper basin populations are more diverse than lower basin, and three should be managed separately as Green River, Upper Colorado, and Lower Colorado genetic management units. Some evidence of roundtail introgression into the Black Rocks population, which should be monitored, warrants keeping this population separate from the Desolation population. Further investigation into localized genetic structure (perhaps due to spawning site fidelity) is recommended to identify unique alleles. Colorado pikeminnow are not anthropogenic) occurred between humpback chub currently being stocked; however, Recovery Program partners are working collaboratively to replenish existing broodstock at Southwestern Native ARRC and roundtail chub in Black Rocksto develop future broodstock for the Upper Colorado River Basin. The authors identified two management units In 2020, broodstock collection trips in the upper basin: Desolation-Cataract middle and Black Rocks-Westwaterlower Green River, and the lower Colorado River, resulted in the collection of 754 lower Green River and 451 lower Colorado River fish. Authors did not recommend separate broodstocksAll of the fish were transported to and are being held at Southwestern Native ARRC. Broodstock development efforts are expected to continue through 2021. Afterward, rather that both management units genetic analysis will inform whether additional collections might be represented in a single Upper Basin broodstock, with individuals taken from multiple sites within each management unit to maintain genetic diversityneeded.

CONSERVE GENETIC INTEGRITY AND AUGMENT OR RESTORE POPULATIONS. ‌ Species recovery depends on protecting and managing species genetic resources. This is a complex activity that includes: determining the genetic diversity of the endangered fishes; protecting species in refugesrefugia; planning, developing, and operating propagation facilities; propagating fish for augmentation or restoration, research, and information and education; and planning, implementing, and evaluating augmentation or restoration of species. Stocking is only an interim tool in the Recovery Program because recovery, by definition, implies that the populations will be self-sustaining in the wild. The success of augmentation and restoration stocking is dependent on prior or concurrent implementation of other recovery actions such as flow protection, habitat restoration, and management of nonnative fishes. This dependency is reflected in the schedule of subbasin-specific actions in Section 4.0. Studies to confirm genetic diversity have been vital to genetics management of the endangered fishes. Species are being protected in refuges refugia to develop broodstocks and guard against catastrophe. Representatives of species thought to be in immediate danger of extinction are brought into refuge refugia immediately. Refuge Refugia populations of species are developed using paired breeding matrices to maximize genetic variability and maintain genetic integrity. Most of this work is included under the General Recovery Program Support Action Plan because it applies to the entire Upper Basin. Subbasin-specific activities of augmenting or restoring species are placed under the subbasin Action Plans. Augmentation or restoration plans are being implemented, fish produced, and river reaches restored and augmented with those fish. The effects of these augmentation efforts need to be monitored and evaluated. Four basic documents are used to plan, implement, and coordinate genetics management and artificial propagation for the endangered fishes. These are the Genetics Management Guidelines (Xxxxxxxxxx and Xxxxxxxx 1994), Genetics Management Plan (Xxxxxx 1999), Coordinated Hatchery Facility Plan (Wydowski 1994), and the Revised Integrated Stocking Plan (Integrated Stocking Plan Revision Committee 2015). All four of these plans have been developed and will be revised or updated as needed. The Genetics Management Guidelines document provides the rationale, genetics concepts, and genetic risks to be considered in genetics-management planning and implementation. For example, it indicates that a fish population is the fundamental unit of genetics management and that its definition and characterization, relative to other populations, are important. Genetic surveys have been part of the identification and characterization process. Further, the prioritization and genetics management required for each population is determined by its relative population status, demographic trends, and genetics data derived from the surveys. The Genetics Management Plan is the operational document. It tells the "what, who, when, where" of implementation. It identifies specific objectives, tasks, activities, and type of facilities necessary to accomplish Recovery Program goals, i.e., protect population genetic integrity or restore a self-sustaining population in the wild. It is the action plan developed for implementation, directed by the Recovery Program goals, and structured along the format presented in the Genetics Management Planning Guidelines document. Facilities are required to meet long-term (5 years or more) augmentation and restoration stocking needs. The plans for these facilities are the Coordinated Hatchery Facility Plan and the Facilities Plan. These plans, in accordance with the Genetics Management Plan, define facilities required to meet propagation needs, identify fish needs that can be met by existing facilities, and recommend expansion or modification of existing facilities. Genetics management requires a great deal of operational activity. Refuge Refugia and propagation facilities have been planned, built, and are now operated in a coordinated fashion. The State of Colorado operates the X. X. Xxxxx Native Aquatic Species Restoration Facility in Alamosa, Colorado. The State of Utah raises bonytail at the Wahweap State Fish Hatchery in Big Water, Utah. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service operates the Ouray National Fish Hatchery with units near Grand Junction, Colorado (Grand Valley Unit) and Vernal, Utah (Randlett Unit). With a few exceptions, these facilities have achieved their stocking targets for the past six years. years The Integrated Stocking Plan (Xxxxxx et al. 2003) provides provided specific annual numbers of fish and their sizes to be produced at Recovery Program hatcheries and stocked into Upper Colorado River Basin river reaches. The This plan was has been implemented for over 10 years before being and has been revised based on recent estimates of survival of the stocked fish. The revised stocking plan (Integrated Stocking Plan Revision Committee 2015) recommends stocking larger bonytail and razorback sucker suckers and releasing bonytail in floodplain habitats and backwaters instead of canyon-bound reaches, since new information suggests floodplains may be more suitable habitat. Revisions to augmentation and restoration stocking (primarily for razorback sucker and bonytail) are intended to directly aid in recovery of the species and to establish fish in the system to be able to demonstrate that habitat and instream flow activities are having an effect on endangered fish recovery. Despite implementation of the revised stocking plan, bonytail post-stocking survival continues to not meet expectations. Alternative diet studies, as well as flow training and anti-predator training efforts, are being considered by the Program in addition to ongoing evaluation of new stocking locations in efforts to increase post-stocking survival of bonytail. Humpback chub are not currently being stocked; however, augmentation of extirpated existing small populations is being considered and additional brood fish from wild populations are being brought into hatcheries. A draft report on An ad hoc group reviewed the population and known genetics of Gila spp. (Xxxx et xx.xx review)information from all the humpback populations and concluded that the Recovery Program should: 1) use a decision tree to guide choices in creating a refuge population and potentially stocking fish into the wild; and 2) genetically test, including humpback chuband if appropriate, indicates historical hybridization (not anthropogenic) occurred between use humpback chub collected from Westwater Canyon and roundtail chub in Black RocksRocks and potentially Desolation Canyon to develop a refugia for Upper Colorado River Basin genetics. The authors identified two management units Those populations have been shown to genetically represent most populations in the upper basin: Desolation-Cataract basin (Xxxxxxx and Black Rocks-Westwater. Authors did not recommend separate broodstocksXxxxxxx 2007, rather that both management units be represented in a single Upper Basin broodstockX. Xxxxxx, with individuals taken from multiple sites within each management unit to maintain genetic diversitySouthwestern Native Aquatic Resources & Recovery Center, personal communication).

CONSERVE GENETIC INTEGRITY AND AUGMENT OR RESTORE POPULATIONS. ‌ Species recovery depends on protecting and managing species genetic resources. This is a complex activity that includes: determining the genetic diversity of the endangered fishes; protecting species in refugesrefugia; planning, developing, and operating propagation facilities; propagating fish for augmentation or restoration, research, and information and education; and planning, implementing, and evaluating augmentation or restoration of species. Stocking is only an interim tool in the Recovery Program because recovery, by definition, implies that the populations will be self-sustaining in the wild. The success of augmentation and restoration stocking is dependent on prior or concurrent implementation of other recovery actions such as flow protection, habitat restoration, and management of nonnative fishes. This dependency is reflected in the schedule of subbasin-specific actions in Section 4.0. Studies to confirm genetic diversity have been vital to genetics management of the endangered fishes. Species are being protected in refuges refugia to develop broodstocks and guard against catastrophe. Representatives of species thought to be in immediate danger of extinction are brought into refuge refugia immediately. Refuge Refugia populations of species are developed using paired breeding matrices to maximize genetic variability and maintain genetic integrity. Most of this work is included under the General Recovery Program Support Action Plan because it applies to the entire Upper Basin. Subbasin-specific activities of augmenting or restoring species are placed under the subbasin Action Plans. Augmentation or restoration plans are being implemented, fish produced, and river reaches restored and augmented with those fish. The effects of these augmentation efforts need to be monitored and evaluated. Four basic documents are used to plan, implement, and coordinate genetics management and artificial propagation for the endangered fishes. These are the Genetics Management Guidelines (Xxxxxxxxxx and Xxxxxxxx 1994), Genetics Management Plan (Xxxxxx 1999), Coordinated Hatchery Facility Plan (Wydowski 1994), and the Revised Integrated Stocking Plan (Integrated Stocking Plan Revision Committee 2015). All four of these plans have been developed and will be revised or updated as needed. The Genetics Management Guidelines document provides the rationale, genetics concepts, and genetic risks to be considered in genetics-management planning and implementation. For example, it indicates that a fish population is the fundamental unit of genetics management and that its definition and characterization, relative to other populations, are important. Genetic surveys have been part of the identification and characterization process. Further, the prioritization and genetics management required for each population is determined by its relative population status, demographic trends, and genetics data derived from the surveys. The Genetics Management Plan is the operational document. It tells the "what, who, when, where" of implementation. It identifies specific objectives, tasks, activities, and type of facilities necessary to accomplish Recovery Program goals, i.e., protect population genetic integrity or restore a self-sustaining population in the wild. It is the action plan developed for implementation, directed by the Recovery Program goals, and structured along the format presented in the Genetics Management Planning Guidelines document. Facilities are required to meet long-term (5 years or more) augmentation and restoration stocking needs. The plans for these facilities are the Coordinated Hatchery Facility Plan and the Facilities Plan. These plans, in accordance with the Genetics Management Plan, define facilities required to meet propagation needs, identify fish needs that can be met by existing facilities, and recommend expansion or modification of existing facilities. Genetics management requires a great deal of operational activity. Refuge Refugia and propagation facilities have been planned, built, and are now operated in a coordinated fashion. The State of Colorado operates the X. X. Xxxxx Native Aquatic Species Restoration Facility in Alamosa, Colorado. The State of Utah raises bonytail at the Wahweap State Fish Hatchery in Big Water, Utah. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service operates the Ouray National Fish Hatchery with units near Grand Junction, Colorado (Grand Valley Unit) and Vernal, Utah (Randlett Unit). With a few exceptions, these facilities have achieved their stocking targets for the past six years. The Integrated Stocking Plan (Xxxxxx et al. 2003) provides provided specific annual numbers of fish and their sizes to be produced at Recovery Program hatcheries and stocked into Upper Colorado River Basin river reaches. The This plan was has been implemented for over 10 years before being and has been revised based on recent estimates of survival of the stocked fish. The revised stocking plan (Integrated Stocking Plan Revision Committee 2015) recommends stocking larger bonytail and razorback sucker suckers and releasing bonytail in floodplain habitats and backwaters instead of canyon-bound reaches, since new information suggests floodplains may be more suitable habitat. Revisions to augmentation and restoration stocking (primarily for razorback sucker and bonytail) are intended to directly aid in recovery of the species and to establish fish in the system to be able to demonstrate that habitat and instream flow activities are having an effect on endangered fish recovery. Despite implementation of the revised stocking plan, bonytail post-stocking survival continues to not meet expectations. Alternative diet studies, as well as flow training and anti-predator training efforts, are being considered by the Program in addition to ongoing evaluation of new stocking locations in efforts to increase post-stocking survival of bonytail. Humpback chub are not currently being stocked; however, augmentation of extirpated existing small populations is being considered and additional brood fish from wild populations are being brought into hatcheries. A draft report on An ad hoc group reviewed the population and known genetics of Gila spp. (Xxxx et xx.xx review)information from all the humpback populations and concluded that the Recovery Program should: 1) use a decision tree to guide choices in creating a refuge population and potentially stocking fish into the wild; and 2) genetically test, including humpback chuband if appropriate, indicates historical hybridization (not anthropogenic) occurred between use humpback chub collected from Westwater Canyon and roundtail chub in Black RocksRocks and potentially Desolation Canyon to develop a refugia for Upper Colorado River Basin genetics. The authors identified two management units Those populations have been shown to genetically represent most populations in the upper basin: Desolation-Cataract basin (Xxxxxxx and Black Rocks-Westwater. Authors did not recommend separate broodstocksXxxxxxx 2007, rather that both management units be represented in a single Upper Basin broodstockX. Xxxxxx, with individuals taken from multiple sites within each management unit to maintain genetic diversitySouthwestern Native Aquatic Resources & Recovery Center, personal communication).