The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) regulates most hydropower dams in the United States and grants operational licenses that include conditions for the conservation of sea-run fish. FERC is the primary authority in relicensing, but the process invites input from other federal and state resource agencies. As a result, relicensing decisions often reflect trade-offs among competing authorities, values and objectives. FERC relicensing decisions in the Kennebec and Penobscot Rivers in Maine were assessed to characterise agency engagement and identify factors that influence fish passage decisions. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of FERC project documents from 1984 to 2019 showed that conservation measures are focused almost exclusively on Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., and American eel, Anguilla rostrate Leseur. Incorporation of fish passage mitigation requirements has increased coincident with increased agency engagement and the use of regulatory authority. Strong fish passage prescriptions are found at coastal projects (where sea-run fish exist) likely resulting from both state and federal agency input. Despite wide interest in basin-scale and interagency fish passage planning, implementation of collaborative processes has been slow, with most dams being considered and licensed individually. As a result, there are opportunities to spatially integrate the FERC process in the future and support effective stakeholder engagement.

中文翻译：

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在缅因州监管大坝重新许可期间导航鱼类通道决策

联邦能源管理委员会 (FERC) 对美国的大多数水电大坝进行监管，并授予运营许可证，其中包括保护海洋鱼类的条件。FERC 是重新许可的主要权威，但该过程需要其他联邦和州资源机构的投入。因此，再许可决策通常反映了相互竞争的权威、价值观和目标之间的权衡取舍。对缅因州肯纳贝克河和佩诺布斯科特河的 FERC 再许可决定进行了评估，以确定机构参与的特征并确定影响鱼类通过决定的因素。对 1984 年至 2019 年 FERC 项目文件的定性和定量分析表明，保护措施几乎完全集中在大西洋鲑鱼、Salmo salar L. 和美洲鳗鱼上，安圭拉 rostrate Leseur。随着机构参与的增加和监管机构的使用，减少鱼道要求的纳入也有所增加。在沿海项目（存在海洋鱼类）中发现了强有力的鱼类通道处方，这可能来自州和联邦机构的投入。尽管对流域规模和机构间鱼类通道规划有广泛的兴趣，但协作过程的实施一直很缓慢，大多数水坝都是单独考虑和许可的。因此，未来有机会在空间上整合 FERC 流程并支持有效的利益相关者参与。