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SALMON ALONG THE PACIFIC COAST
{Yukon River Salmon Act Reauthorization. On Mar. 11, 1999, the House
Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife, and Oceans
has scheduled a hearing on reauthorization of the Yukon River Salmon
Act.}[personal communication]
{{Gasoline Spill. 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]
{Steelhead Lawsuit. On Mar. 3, 1999, a coalition of sport anglers and
environmentalists filed suit in U.S. District Court (San Francisco,
CA), seeking to force the federal government to list southern OR and
northern CA steelhead trout as a threatened species.}[Contra Costa
Times]
Headwaters Forest Agreement. 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]
{Atlantic Salmon Threat? 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]
{Battle Creek Dam Decommissioning. In late February 1999, the Pacific
Gas and Electric Company, NMFS, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S.
Bureau of Reclamation, and CA Dept. of Fish and Game agreed in
principle to pursue a project in the Battle Creek watershed in Shasta
and Tehama Counties, CA. The proposed project includes decommissioning
5 diversion dams and transferring their water rights to instream use as
well as screenign and enlarging ladders at 3 other diversion dams.
This project anticipates restoring 42 miles of chinook salmon and
steelhead trout habitat.}[Environment News Service]
{Grand Coulee Dam Study. In late February 1999, the World Commission
on Dams, meeting in Capetown, South Africa, decided to include Grand
Coulee Dam on the Columbia River in an independent study, due to be
completed in June 2000, of 10 major world dams for impacts on people,
the environment, and economies as well as impacts on sustainable
development.}[Environment News Service]
Pesticides and Salmon. On Feb. 24, 1999, a coalition of environmental
organizations, the Oregon Pesticide Education Network, released a
report reviewing recent scientific literature and concluding that even
minute amounts of some pesticides in waterways can disrupt the life
cycle of salmon by harming immune systems, altering reproductive
systems, and disrupting a juvenile salmon's ability to swim. The
coalition seeks to encourage passage of legislation similar to CA's
pesticide reporting program. [Portland Oregonian]
{Canadian Export of Salmon to Australia. On Feb. 23, 1999, the World
Trade Organization's appointed Arbitrator reported a decision that the
reasonable period of time for implementing Dispute Settlement Board
recommendations allowing entry of Canadian salmon into Australia was 8
months, or by July 6, 1999.}[personal communication]
WA Salmon Management. On Feb. 23, 1999, Snohomish County officials
released details of a plan to protect and restore chinook salmon
spawning grounds. The plan, part of a joint effort with King and
Pierce Counties emphasizing preservation of existing habitat and
restoration of damaged habitat, outlines more than 60 projects to be
conducted in the next 2 years. County officials, in mid-February 1999,
wrote to WA state officials asking for $100 million to pay for stream
restoration, sewer and stormwater improvements, and land purchases.
The County Council is scheduled to vote on the plan on Mar. 1, 1999.
Twelve other Puget Sound counties are expected to also submit recovery
plans to NMFS by Mar. 15, 1999. In late February 1999, Seattle
officials estimated that $255 million will need to be expended over 50
years to restore chinook salmon and their habitat in the city and along
river's supplying the city's water and power. {On Mar. 1, 1999,
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.}}[Seattle Herald, Seattle Times]
Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund. On Feb. 22, 1999, the Governors
of AK, WA, and OR met with Vice President Gore to discuss the proposed
$100 million Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund, expressing concern
that states control how the funds are spent. The governors reportedly
told Clinton Administration officials that they seek $200 million from
the federal government for a West Coast salmon initiative. [MSNBC,
Portland Oregonian]
Cook Inlet Salmon Management. On Feb. 17, 1999, the AK Board of
Fisheries began 2 weeks of meetings in Soldotna to consider revisions
to management measures for Cook Inlet salmon fisheries for the 1999
season. Beginning with 4 days of public comment, significant
controversy surrounds the allocation of sockeye salmon harvest between
sport and commercial fishermen. On Feb. 22, 1999, the AK Board of
Fisheries revised the Upper Cook Inlet Salmon Management Plan to remove
language providing a that late-run Kenai River sockeye salmon would be
managed primarily for commercial fishing and that late-run Kenai River
king salmon would be managed primarily for sport fishing. The Board's
intent is to have specific management objectives included in subplans
for individual fisheries. [Anchorage Daily News, MSNBC]
Pacific Salmon Treaty. On Feb. 11, 1999, the Portland Oregonian
announced that the Canadian Dept. of Fisheries and Oceans was about to
announce maximum size limits for chinook salmon in the Gulf of Georgia
between Feb. 15 and May 20 to protect the early run chinook salmon
returning to WA's Nooksack River. This is part of Canadian Fisheries
Minister David Anderson's effort to work with WA Governor Gary Locke to
promote salmon recovery. On Feb. 23, 1999, AK Governor Tony Knowles
and WA Governor Gary Locke announced that they are optimistic over
renegotiating a Pacific Salmon Treaty with Canada and are desirous of
breaking the logjam that has impeded negotiations. In late February
1999, Clinton Administration officials were reported as planning to
name a new mediator for Treaty negotiations by late April 1999.
[Portland Oregonian, MSNBC, Canadian Press]
Elwha River Dams. On Feb. 8, 1999, National Park Service officials
announced that negotiations had begun with Fort James Paper Company and
Daishowa America on purchasing 2 Elwha River, WA, dams so that they
could be removed to benefit salmon. Since the $29.5 million purchase
price for the dams was established in the Elwha River Ecosystem and
Fisheries Restoration Act of 1992, outstanding issues include transfer
of dam operations and disposition of equipment and powerline
rights-of-way. [Portland Oregonian]
HCP Report. On Feb. 8, 1999, AIBS held a 3-hour AIBS Biology
Roundtable Series event "Using Science in Habitat Conservation Plans"
to be held at the National Press Club, Washington, DC, discussing the
recently released study of habitat conservation plans (HCPs). [AIBS
press release]
Steelhead Critical Habitat. On Feb. 5, 1999, NMFS published proposed
critical habitat designations for nine populations of steelhead trout
in WA, OR, ID, and CA (7 of which are listed under the Endangered
Species Act and 2 of which are proposed for listing). Public comment
on the proposal is being accepted through May 6, 1999. [Fed. Register]
Adult Salmon Survival. On Feb. 3, 1999, the Independent Science
Advisory Board reported (document ISAB 99-2) to the Northwest Power
Planning Council (NPPC) that stress on returning adult salmon may
seriously reduce spawning effectiveness. Scientists say these results
indicate that more attention should be given to improving upstream
passage for adult fish. Currently, dam operators are reportedly
spending less than 1% of their budget on upstream passage concerns,
with most funds going to improve the downstream juvenile migration.
[Portland Oregonian, NPPC Congressional Update]
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