The following weekly news summary was compiled by the Congressional Research Service from a variety of information sources. New info and changes since 3/19/99 are bracketed {...} New info and changes since 3/24/99 double-bracketed {{...}}
Cleve Steward
Sustainable Fisheries Foundation
Tel. 425-670-3584
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On Apr. 7, 1999, the Senate Committee on Appropriations' Subcommittee on Interior and the House Committee on Appropriations' Subcommittee on Interior have tentatively scheduled a joint field hearing in WA state on funding for salmon recovery programs. [Assoc Press]
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On Mar. 22, 1999, a letter bearing the signatures of more than 200 scientists was delivered to President Clinton, calling for consideration of federal dam removal in the Columbia River Basin to restore salmon and steelhead trout. These scientists expressed concern for management focused on technological solutions rather than returning to normative river conditions.}[Portland Oregonian]
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On Mar. 22, 1999, the Northwest Power Planning Council held a public meeting in Yakima, WA, on its draft recommendations for Congress on future hatchery operations in the Columbia River basin.
Additional public meetings will be held through Apr. 6, 1999, at other ID and OR locations. The recommendations are scheduled to be delivered to Congress in May 1999.}}[Assoc Press]
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On Mar. 16, 1999, the Columbia River Intertribal Fish Commission released a series of requests and suggestions for the Technical Management Team preparing a 1999 water management plan for the Columbia and Snake River drainage by Apr. 15, 1999.
Elements for modifying hydroelectric operations to benefit salmon and steelhead trout include reducing extreme fluctuations in water flow, spilling more water as opposed to passing it through turbines, and keeping more juvenile fish in the river rather than transporting them downstream by barge. [Reuters]
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On Mar. 16, 1999, NMFS announced the listing of 8 populations of Pacific Northwest salmon and steelhead trout (Puget Sound chinook, lower Columbia River chinook, Lake Ozette sockeye, Hood Canal summer chum, lower Columbia River chum, mid-Columbia steelhead, upper Willamette River chinook, and upper Willamette River steelhead) as threatened under the Endangered Species Act and 1 population (upper Columbia River spring chinook) as endangered.
In March 1998, a total of 11 populations were proposed for listing as threatened, with an additional 2 populations proposed for listing as endangered. Decisions on the 4 populations not announced on Mar. 16 are anticipated within 6 months. [Assoc Press]
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In mid-March 1999, the WA Dept. of Fish and Wildlife and the Grant County Public Utility District announced an agreement that would result in increased flows from Priest Rapids Dam, to protect fall chinook from becoming stranded by water level fluctuations in pools in the Hanford Reach of the Columbia River. As many as 4.5 million juvenile chinook salmon could be saved annually by this agreement.}[Portland Oregonian]
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On Mar. 12, 1999, Canadian Fisheries Minister David Anderson announced that, although salmon stock rebuilding efforts are beginning to show progress, Canadian salmon harvests might be restricted for the next 6 to 8 years to promote conservation and restoration of threatened coho salmon stocks. {On Mar. 23, 1999, the Canadian Dept. Of Fisheries and Oceans reported that more than 1,500 commercial salmon licenses had been voluntarily retired from the BC fishery. A total of 99 licenses were retired in fall 1998, and 647 more were retired in the latest round. Total cost of this second phase of buyouts is about C$83.5 million, with a total of about C$187 million spent on voluntary retirements since 1996. Critics claim the buyback program has destroyed the BC small-boat fishery.
A third round of buyouts is scheduled for fall 1999.}[Portland Oregonian, Reuters, Canadian Press]
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On Mar. 11, 1999, the House Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife, and Oceans held a hearing on reauthorization of the Yukon River Salmon Act. [personal communication]
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In early March 1999, the Canadian Fishing Co. (Canfisco) announced that it had purchased the remaining fishing assets, including the operating assets of B.C. Packers Ltd., being sold by George Weston Ltd. With the completion of this transaction, Canfisco will own about 25% of the vessels and licenses in the British Columbia seine fleet. Canfisco also acquires B.C. Packers' fish processing plants in AK. [National Post]
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On Mar. 4, 1999, an overturned tanker truck spilled about 5,000 gallons of gasoline into Beaver Creek, a tributary of the Warm Springs River, OR.
In addition to being a major spawning ground for wild chinook salmon, the spill occurred about 25 miles upstream of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Warm Springs Hatchery. To avoid a fish kill at the hatchery, FWS officials released 750,000 yearling chinook to swim downstream, and transferred another 830,000 sub-yearling spring chinook to a state hatchery. Effects of the spill on wild spring chinook and bull trout are unknown. [Portland Oregonian]
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On Mar. 4, 1999, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed a lawsuit filed by American Rivers against the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), ruling that jurisdiction was lacking under the Federal Power Act. American Rivers filed suit alleging FERC failed to comply with the Endangered Species Act by initiating formal consultation with NMFS concerning continuing operation of the Hells Canyon Project, operated by the Idaho Power Company on the Snake River.}[personal communication]
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On Mar. 3, 1999, a coalition of sport anglers and environmentalists filed suit in U.S. District Court (San Francisco, CA), seeking to force NMFS to list southern OR and northern CA steelhead trout as a threatened species. NMFS decided not to list this population because of recovery efforts underway by OR and CA. [Contra Costa Times, Assoc Press]
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On Mar. 2, 1999, Pacific Lumber, the state of CA, and the U.S. Government reached agreement on a $480 million plan ($250 million in federal funds) to preserve habitat in the Headwaters Forest, CA.
This agreement provides for government purchase of 7,500 acres of redwood forest and commits Pacific Lumber to compliance with terms of a habitat conservation plan when logging 210,000 acres of nearby land. Together, these achievements promote healthy streamside habitat and protect coho salmon from sediment damage by prohibiting logging in stream buffer zones and areas prone to landslides. [NOAA press release, Dept. of the Interior press release]
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On Mar. 1, 1999, the AK Dept. of Fish and Game (ADF&G) released a 9-page white paper on Atlantic salmon outlining concerns over the potential harmful effects of non-native Atlantic salmon on wild salmon stocks. AK officials expressed concern over the possible lifting of the moratorium on expanding salmon farms into northern British Columbia.
ADF&G's white paper includes several recommendations for reducing the threat to wild salmon from Atlantic salmon farming. [ADF&G press release]
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On Mar. 1, 1999, the Bellevue City Council approved $3.2 million in conservation measures to benefit chinook salmon. Elements include reductions in water use, increased development setbacks from rivers and streams, and habitat restoration activities.
On Mar. 2, 1999, NMFS and FWS officials were reported to have agreed in principle to write regulations for new species listings that would authorize local salmon and trout conservation programs meeting federal standards. Negotiations were to begin on Mar. 3, 1999, on regulations to establish standards for federal approval of state programs.
On Mar. 15 1999, the WA state Senate passed 4 bills related to salmon recovery and sent them to the state House for consideration. These measures 1) require the governor to file a salmon recovery strategy with NMFS by Sept. 1, 2) create a 3-member board to control salmon recovery spending, 3) create a non-profit Puget Sound Foundation to manage privately contributed salmon restoration funds, and 4) authorize special license plates for salmon recovery.
In mid-March 1999, the WA Interagency Committee for Outdoor Recreation announced grant awards to 8 counties for 11 projects -- 9 of which benefit salmon -- under a pilot Riparian Habitat Program. With matching funds, project funding totals about $5.6 million and will be used to purchase conservation easements. [Seattle Herald, Seattle Times, Portland Oregonian]
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On Mar. 19, 1999, a conference on Salmon Aquaculture - the Consequences for the Environment and Public Health was held in Dublin, Ireland, focusing on problems of farmed salmon escaping and interbreeding with wild fish.}[Irish Times]
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On Mar. 22, 1999, a coalition of 10 environmental groups filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court (Portland, OR) seeking to force the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to list the Great Basin redband trout and several other species as endangered under the Endangered Species Act. The groups claim the federal government has avoided protecting these species to satisfy special interests.}[Assoc Press]
{Great Basin Redband Trout Lawsuit.
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