1. SCIENTISTS DEFEND PATH PROCESS Posted on Wednesday, October 01, 2003 (PST)

Several scientists associated with the "PATH process" reacted sharply this week to suggestions that an independent science review panel was "sandbagged " when evaluating hypotheses related to the mortality and recovery of spring/summer chinook salmon. A "Weight of Evidence" report released last week suggested that breaching the four Lower Snake River dams would be a more effective recovery strategy than continuing with current river operations or ... Read More...

2. GORTON PULLS DAM PROVISION, ELWHA FUNDS Posted on Wednesday, October 01, 2003 (PST)

President Clinton's threatened veto has prompted Sen. Slade Gorton to pull from the Interior spending bill his provision aimed at strengthening congressional authority over modifications to Columbia/Snake River dams. At the same time, the Washington Republican yanked from the bill something Clinton wanted -- $2 million to study the removal of the dam on the lower Elwha River on Washington's Olympic Peninsula. The senator will revisit the Columbia River issue next year, said ... Read More...

3. SCT DEADLOCKED OVER JOHN DAY SCREENS Posted on Wednesday, October 01, 2003 (PST)

A technological -- and philosophical -- tug of war over funding for further testing of John Day extended length screen prototypes ended Monday in a draw. State and federal representatives to the System Configuration Team met in a special morning session to finalize funding recommendations for 1999 fish passage projects at mainstem Columbia-Snake river hydroelectric projects. They left in agreement about how to spend most of the $60 million allotted by Congress for mainstem ... Read More...

4. KITZHABER QUERIED ON TREATY RIGHTS Posted on Wednesday, October 01, 2003 (PST)

The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation have asked Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber to clarify the state's position regarding treaty rights. The request comes in the wake of this year's contentious negotiations over the fall fishery for Columbia River Basin salmon and steelhead. "Reports from our policy representatives and legal counsel involved in the process paint what can only be described as an alarming and distressing picture," say Antone Minthorn, chairman Read More...

5. NW GOVERNORS PURSUE RIVER MANAGEMENT Posted on Wednesday, October 01, 2003 (PST)

The four Northwest governors agreed Monday (Oct. 5) that the way the Columbia-Snake river system is managed needs to be changed -- and that they might be the ones to coordinate a regional plan. The governors and their advisers will spend the next few weeks deciding if they should advance a legislative proposal to address long-term river governance issues, and what sort of proposal that should be. They'll also focus on how the region can better address looming fish and wildlife issues in Read More...

6. McGINTY TO LEAVE WHITE HOUSE POST Posted on Wednesday, October 01, 2003 (PST)

After weeks and rumors and speculation, President Clinton confirmed Wednesday night that Katie McGinty, his top environmental policy advisor, was leaving her post after the November election. McGinty, chair of the White House Council on Environment Quality, has played a key role in the Administration's salmon recovery policies for the Columbia River Basin. In announcing McGinty's departure at a speech to the League of Conservation Voters Wednesday night, Clinton said, "We have a Read More...

7. DRAWDOWN ECONOMIC ANALYSIS BEHIND SCHEDULE Posted on Wednesday, October 01, 2003 (PST)

Many of the Drawdown Regional Economic Workgroup studies evaluating economic impacts of drawdown or breaching the four lower Snake River dams are behind schedule. Several of the schedules have slipped because parts of the DREW study rely on the results of the National Marine Fisheries Service's PATH report, which itself is behind schedule. A report on PATH's 1998 activities is due next month. Other studies are simply dealing with difficult issues that take time and are slowing ... Read More...

8. FRAMEWORK UPDATE Posted on Wednesday, October 01, 2003 (PST)

The late-starting multi-species framework development process is gaining focus with target dates for the project's first three products scheduled for mid-November. "We are on a schedule that is set to get certain products out of here by Thanksgiving," according Dr. Peter Paquet, deputy project manager. Those products -- a ecological overview or description of the Columbia River Basin; a "template" to guide the development of fish and wildlife management options; ... Read More...

9. NUMBERS UP FOR SNAKE RIVER FALL CHINOOK Posted on Wednesday, October 01, 2003 (PST)

Threatened Snake River fall chinook appear "headed for a record high" return to their spawning grounds above Lower Granite Dam since tallies were begun in 1975. The population remains a small fraction of its historic levels, but appears to be responding to measures taken since the Snake River wild population was listed under the Endangered Species Act in 1992, said Steven King, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife's salmon fishery manager. The current projection is for Read More...

11. HIGH TEMPS SLOW IDAHO STEELHEAD RUN Posted on Wednesday, October 01, 2003 (PST)

Higher than normal temperatures in the lower Columbia River this summer has delayed the fall steelhead runs into Idaho. Such a delay of this type often results in an overall lower return of fish, say Idaho Fish and Game biologists. Temperatures in the river were measured at about 70 degrees in September at a time when Idaho steelhead are just beginning their migration upstream. Normal temperatures would have been in the low or mid 60s. The higher temperatures slow steelhead as ... Read More...