BLM and the Forest Service manage about 93 percent of the 44 million acres of federally owned land in Oregon and Washington. In addition, the Northwest Forest Plan's road management guidelines state that the agencies shall "provide and maintain fish passage at all road crossings of existing and potential fish-bearing streams." Extent to Which Barrier Culverts Block Fish Passage Is Unknown

As of August 1, 2001, the agencies' fish passage assessments identified almost 2,600 barrier culverts—over 400 on BLM lands and nearly 2,200 on Forest Service lands—-and agency officials estimate that, in total, up to 5,500 fish barrier culverts may exist. Other factors affecting the agencies' efforts to restore fish passage include the complex and lengthy federal and state project approval process to obtain environmental clearances and the limited number of agency engineers experienced in designing culverts that meet current fish passage requirements. Furthermore, to minimize disturbance to fish and wildlife habitat, states impose a short seasonal "window of opportunity" within which restoration work on barrier culverts can occur. Ultimate Effectiveness of Agency Efforts to Restore Fish Passage Is Largely Unknown Because Completed Projects Are Not Systematically Monitored

BLM and the Forest Service completed 141 projects to restore fish passage for anadromous fish at barrier culverts from fiscal year 1998 through July 2001 and opened access to an estimated 171 miles of fish habitat. However, the Oregon and Washington state fish passage restoration programs, as well as other local efforts, require systematic post-project monitoring to determine the most effective methods for improving fish passage under various conditions. We are sending copies of this report to the Director of the Bureau of Land Management and the Chief of the Forest Service.
What GAO Found

The Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service manage more than 41 million acres of federal lands in Oregon and Washington, including 122,000 miles of roads that use culverts--pipes or arches that allow water to flow from one side of the road to the other. Many of the streams that pass through these culverts are essential habitat for fish and other aquatic species. More than 10,000 culverts exist on fish-bearing streams in Oregon and Washington, but the number that impede fish passage is unknown. Ongoing agency inventory and assessment efforts have identified nearly 2,600 barrier culverts, but agency officials estimate that more than twice that number may exist. Although the agencies recognize the importance of restoring fish passage, several factors inhibit their efforts. Most significantly, the agencies have not made enough money available to do all the necessary culvert work. In addition, the often lengthy process of obtaining federal and state environmental clearances and permits, as well as the short seasonal "window of opportunity" to do the work, affects the agencies' ability to restore fish passages quickly. Furthermore, the shortage of experienced engineering staff limits the number of projects that can be designed and completed. BLM and the Forest Service have completed 141 culvert projects to remove barriers and to open an estimated 171 miles of fish habitat from fiscal year 1998 through 2000. Neither agency, however, knows the extent to which culvert projects ultimately improve fish passage because they don't require systematic post-project monitoring to measure the outcomes of their efforts.