9 September 2004
Media Contact:
Charles Hudson,
Public Information Manager(503) 731-1257
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Federal salmon
plan relies upon the “absurd and speculative”
Unproven
technology and shifted goals characterize a weak strategy
Portland, Oregon
- Leaders from the
Columbia River treaty fishing tribes today cautioned federal officials
that the draft Columbia River salmon recovery plan appeared to be
a strong deviation from the directives of the federal judge overseeing
the plan’s revision. Tribal leaders also stated their intention
to use the draft comment period to extract the politics from the plan
and replace them with proven measures and best available science.
“The draft federal plan relies upon measures ranging from absurd
to speculative and is simply not in keeping with what we understand
to be the Court’s directive,” said Ron Suppah, chairman
of the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon.
The draft plan includes a sudden and unsubstantiated declaration of
“No Jeopardy” in the hydro system by declaring dams a
natural and benign presence, and the removal of dam breaching as a
recovery option. Both are dramatic departures from the thirteen years
of ESA listings in the Federal Columbia River Power System –
changes tribal officials view as political rather than scientific.
“This is a dramatic lowering of the bar. NOAA granted clemency
to the biggest cause of mortality – the biggest killer –
of all listed and non-listed salmon stocks, the hydro system,”
added Suppah. The plan continues a heavy reliance on barging salmon
and a new technology called Removable Spillway Weirs to achieve higher
juvenile survival – technology tribal scientists view as promising,
but still largely untested, particularly for fall Chinook and sockeye.
“The purpose of the remand and collaborative process over the
past year was to develop a plan scientifically and legally stronger
than the 2000 version. The failures of the 2000 plan were at least
partially masked by strong ocean conditions. Now, with ocean conditions
poised for a downturn, lowering the recovery bar and eliminating measures
is disingenuous,” said Olney Patt, Jr. executive director of
the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission.
The federal plan also recommends that federal agencies “continue
to facilitate the existing subbasin planning infrastructure”
managed by the Northwest Power Conservation Council. The Commission’s
member tribes have previously criticized this $15 million planning
effort for failing to comply with the fish and wildlife requirements
of the Northwest Power Act.
“Our technical responses to this plan will be detailed and in
keeping with the Court’s direction. We will emphasize proven
measures like flow and spill and especially until the unproven measures
meet muster,” added Patt.
The Commission expects to have detailed comments finished and presented
to the federal government by the end of the 30-day comment period
and available to the public at www.critfc.org.
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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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