1. NO SIGNING YET FOR NEW GOVERNANCE FORUM Posted on Wednesday, October 01, 2003 (PST)

 Once again, the day on which regional participants were to have signed a memorandum of agreement that would officially establish the Columbia River Basin Forum came and went without ceremony.  Although the first scheduled signing date was in mid-November, then put off until this Wednesday (Dec. 16), representatives of states, federal agencies and Basin tribes vowed that Jan. 29, 1999, would be the drop-dead date for signing the MOA.  Oregon and Washington, all nine ... Read More...

2. REACTIONS MIXED TO PATHS PROGRESS REPORT Posted on Wednesday, October 01, 2003 (PST)

 After three years of intensive effort, has the scientific group working on the Plan for Analyzing and Testing Hypotheses (PATH) helped the region along toward consensus on salmon recovery?  PATH facilitator David Marmorek summarized the groups Fiscal Year 1998 report twice this month -- first at a Dec. 10 meeting of the National Marine Fisheries Services multi-agency Implementation Team, and to a larger group Wednesday (Dec. 16) at the Northwest Power Planning ... Read More...

3. DISAGREEMENTS ARISE OVER PATHS FUTURE COURSE Posted on Wednesday, October 01, 2003 (PST)

 What is the next step for PATH? What should the scientific group spend its time and resources on in the first quarter of 1999?  A subgroup of the 25 to 30 federal, tribal, state, and independent scientists the PATH planning group asked the National Marine Fisheries Services multi-agency Implementation Team for guidance on FY 1999 priorities.  Agreement on the top priority was reached at the Dec. 10 IT meeting: The IT wants PATH to complete its analyses of the ... Read More...

4. FISH MASS MARKING MACHINE MAKES DEBUT Posted on Wednesday, October 01, 2003 (PST)

 Fishery managers are hoping a new, high-tech process for fish marking will serve the dual purpose of aiding the recovery of Oregons Willamette River Basin wild spring chinook salmon and allowing economy-boosting sport fisheries.  That new computerized process, which can insert coded wire tags in and clip the adipose fins of 50,000 fish during an eight-hour human work shift, appears ready for use. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, which owns the prototype ... Read More...

5. FRAMEWORK PROCESS SCHEDULE TIGHTENS Posted on Wednesday, October 01, 2003 (PST)

 The pressure to produce was felt anew Monday as those involved in the multi-species framework development process struggled to identify the targets that would be subjected to scientific scrutiny.  The framework process was initiated by the Northwest Power Planning Council this past summer to produce ecological and economic analyses of potential strategies for restoring Columbia Basin fish and wildlife stocks.  A variety of Basin stakeholders, both public and ... Read More...

6. FEDS AIM FOR COORDINATED PLAN FOR GAS ABATEMENT Posted on Wednesday, October 01, 2003 (PST)

 Federal hydropower operating agencies are working to coordinate total dissolved gas (TDG) reduction efforts at Grand Coulee and Chief Joseph dams.  Representatives of Bonneville Power Administration, the Army Corps of Engineers, and the Bureau of Reclamation met last Thursday (Dec. 10) and again this Monday (Dec. 14) to discuss a coordinated evaluation of potential structural and operational changes that would reduce TDG generated by spill.  The National Marine ... Read More...

7. GORTON SAYS REGION NEEDS COHERENT VIEWS Posted on Wednesday, October 01, 2003 (PST)

 Congress might be willing to loosen the federal governments grip on how decisions are made regarding the many uses of the Columbia River. But any drive to achieve regional empowerment must come from within the region, Sen. Slade Gorton, R-Washington, said Wednesday (Dec. 16).  Gorton was participating in the fifth Pacific Northwest Public Affairs Conference at Portland State University. The conference focus was At-Risk Economy, At-Risk-Environment: The Pacific Northwest ... Read More...

8. BPAS ROBERTSON, EPAS CLARKE EYE SOLUTIONS Posted on Wednesday, October 01, 2003 (PST)

 Two of the federal governments top regionally based officials stressed the need Wednesday for unified plans, one for restoration of fish and wildlife stocks and the other to bring focus to agencies engaged in related federal tasks in the region.  Charles Clarke, administrator of the Environmental Protection Agencys Region 10, and Jack Robertson, deputy administrator for the Bonneville Power Administration, were asked to address a common theme -- Federal Coordination: ... Read More...

9. SAMPSON SAYS LEARN FROM UMATILLA SUCCESSES Posted on Wednesday, October 01, 2003 (PST)

 Proven salmon restoration methods exist.  All thats needed is the leadership and creativity to adapt them to the broader scale that is the Columbia-Snake river system and build the consensus to implement the plan, according to Donald Sampson.  Sampson explained his theory during a luncheon presentation at the fifth Pacific Northwest Public Affairs Conference held Wednesday at Portland State University. At-Risk Economy, At-Risk Environment was sponsored by ... Read More...

10. MONTANA POWER FIGHTS RETRO MITIGATION COSTS Posted on Wednesday, October 01, 2003 (PST)

 Trout Unlimited has jumped in the ring as Montana Power Co. continues to fight a requirement to pay a retroactive $15.6 million for environmental damage caused by Kerr Dam on Flathead Lake.  Trout Unlimited's West Slope Chapter contends the power company is trying to shirk an obligation required by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission as part of the dam's 1997 re-licensing.  Trout Unlimited has formally intervened in legal proceedings initiated in federal court ... Read More...