28 july 2004
Media Contact:
Charles Hudson, CRITFC,
(503) 731-1257
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Keep
on spilling, federal court orders BPA and the Corps
Judge
upholds salmon-protection program along Columbia River dams
Portland, Oregon
- A federal court
judge today squelched U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Bonneville
Power Administration plans to curtail a federally required salmon-protection
provision to spill water over dams on the Columbia and Snake rivers.
Northwest tribes, conservationists and fishing-industry officials
cheered the ruling, issued by federal Judge James Redden of the Oregon
District. Salmon advocates have long fought the BPA and Corps'
attempts to halt salmon-protection measures at Columbia Basin dams.
Widely considered by scientists as the safest way to help young salmon
downriver past dangerous dam turbines, spill has proved among the
few successful requirements in the Federal Salmon Plan to boost survival
of the threatened and endangered fish.
"Today we celebrate a great victory for salmon," said Jay
Minthorn, chairman of the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission.
"The spill program serves an important part of Northwest salmon
recovery; we must remain vigilant to ensure Northwest congressional
leaders and the Bush administration fully implement all components
of the Federal Salmon Plan."
As part of its aim to sell more electricity to power-hungry California
and shave an average 10 cents off Northwest ratepayers' monthly energy
bill, the federal agencies had offered variations of a curtailment
plan including cutting summer spill for 10 days in August at Ice Harbor
and John Day dams and erasing the entire August spill schedule at
Bonneville and The Dalles dams.
Today's ruling instead requires the Corps and BPA to maintain the
spill schedule outlined by the Federal Salmon Plan. "Common sense
prevailed today," said CRITFC executive director Olney Patt Jr.
"Judge Redden's decision has shown the courts will shut down
attempts by industry schemers and their BPA accountants to dictate
Columbia River salmon policy with plots that slap the face of sound
science."
Added CRITFC Commissioner Ronald Suppah Sr., who chairs the Warm Springs
tribe's fish and wildlife committee, "Rather than heap the burden
of salmon loss onto the shoulders of fishing communities and businesses,
we must hold accountable those who make money off measures that dwindle
salmon populations."
Summer spill reflects one of the few consistently successful requirements
in the Federal Salmon Plan, which remains in force by court order
until a new plan reaches completion. A draft plan is due Aug. 30.
"We have witnessed a reluctance by this administration and its
agencies to follow the law in protecting salmon," said Nez Perce
Tribe executive committee member Randall Minthorn, who also chairs
the tribe's law and order subcommittee. "But we felt pleased
that the judge today referred to our tribal treaty rights, whose spirit
and intent remained evident in the courtroom."
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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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