Brook trout is a nonnative species present throughout many western states and brook trout have been shown to displace several native fishes where they have been introduced

Brook trout may displace bull trout through hybridization and behavioral dominance. Indeed the presence of brook trout has been identified as a primary threat to the persistence of bull trout throughout much of the range of bull trout. The north fork john day and upper mainstem john day core areas are occupied by brook trout and brook trout are identified as a primary threat to the persistence of bull trout in the north fork john day core area. Both the north fork john day and upper mainstem john day core areas have been identified as top tier core areas in the state of oregon for investment of resources for bull trout conservation. Consequently resource managers in the john day drainage are interested in managing brook trout to benefit bull trout conservation and recovery. Brook trout management to benefit conservation of bull trout and other native species often involves suppression or eradication efforts. These efforts generally include capturing and culling brook trout hereafter mechanical removal or using toxic piscicides to kill brook trout hereafter chemical removal. Additionally novel approaches to brook trout management are actively being developed for example the use of my brook trout to manage nonnative brook trout is being evaluated in a number of western states. Mechanical removal of brook trout can take multiple years of high intensity effort even in small or simple systems and often results in failure in more complex systems. Chemical removals may not be 100 percent effective and results in mortality of non target species such as invertebrates amphibians and native fishes. Novel approaches to brook trout management are generally experimental in nature with an uncertain probability of success. As such mechanical chemical and novel methods to manage brook trout are often time intensives costly and may not be socially supported. Consequently strategic investment in efforts towards brook trout management may be beneficial. One strategy is to identify areas where the conservation benefit to bull trout is maximized following brook trout management. The objective of this project is to develop an approach for identifying areas where the value of managing nonnative brook trout for bull trout conservation and recovery is maximized based on empirical data and expert opinion. To achieve this objective we will perform the following tasks 1. Compile existing data on a. The distribution of bull trout and brook trout B. Hybridization between bull trout and brook trout C. Habitat characteristics associated with bull trout distribution primarily from available map data or modeling efforts D. The location of fish passage barriers and E. Brook trout stocking in the john day river drainage 2. Develop or adopt a previously developed ecological niche model that provides spatially implicit or explicit information on the probability that habitat can support bull trout 3. Identify site level options for managing brook trout 4. Use expert elicitation to identify the likelihood that site level options for brook trout management will produce the desired effect and 5. Synthesize data and information from tasks 1 through 4 using a structured decision making approach. The resulting decision model will incorporate both empirical data and expert opinion to identify optimum locations for brook trout management. The model will be updateable. A report will be generated that will outline all project activities. Model assumptions model attributes and all data compiled will be incorporated into a database. The project may serve as a strategic tool for identifying locations best suited for brook trout management for the benefit of bull trout conservation.