21 November
2002
Media Contact:
Charles Hudson, CRITFC,
(503) 731-1257
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Tribes denounce BPA plan
to cut fish, wildlife funds
Portland, Oregon
- The treaty fishing
tribes of the Columbia River basin are condemning plans by the Bonneville
Power Administration to slash up to $200 million from its fish and
wildlife budget, calling them "profoundly irresponsible."
The tribes say BPA has not exhausted other financial options that
would help offset its losses.
"This reckless approach clearly represents disregard for the fish
and wildlife project recommendations of the tribes and the Northwest
Power Planning Council," said Donald Sampson, executive director of
the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission. "It's a reversal
on what the agency promised."
Sampson added that the cuts "fundamentally undermine the Northwest
Power Act and the council's ability to meet its fish and wildlife
commitments as well as its treaty and trust obligations."
On Friday, BPA is expected to announce plans to cut between $150 million
and $200 million in fish and wildlife spending over four years, or
some $40 million to $50 million a year from 2003 and 2006. While BPA
is not specifying where agency-wide reductions will occur, "cost effectiveness"
enhancements for fish and wildlife programs are being explored, according
to its Web site.
"What this means is that Bonneville is pulling the rug out from under
its long-stated promises to our tribes to fully fund fish and wildlife,
which fish managers believe to be around $250 million annually," said
Justin Gould, CRITFC chairman and chairman of the Nez Perce TribeÕs
natural resources subcommittee.
Gould notes that the agency agreed to fund only two of the 11 innovative,
high-priority fish and wildlife projects approved by the Power Planning
Council after extensive review by tribes, state and federal fish and
wildlife manager, the Independent Science Review Panel, and others.
"With these cuts, BPA is not fulfilling its obligations under the
Northwest Power Act, the Biological Opinion, and our treaties," he
said. "It looks like BPA will take its budgetary blunders out on salmon
yet again."
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About CRITFC
The Portland-based Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission is
the technical support and coordinating agency for fishery management
policies of the Columbia River Basin's four treaty tribes: the Confederated
Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, the Confederated Tribes
of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon, the Confederated Tribes
and Bands of the Yakama Nation and the Nez Perce Tribe.
CRITFC, formed in 1977, employs biologists, other scientists, public
information specialists, policy analysts and administrators who work
in fisheries research and analyses, advocacy, planning and coordination,
harvest control and law enforcement. |
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