The Northwest Power and Conservation Council has written a letter to the Northwest congressional delegation objecting to proposals by the Trump administration to force the Bonneville Power Administration to sell electricity at market rates rather than its cost of generation and also sell the federal high-voltage transmission system, which BPA operates.
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals refused the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s challenge that asked the court to rethink and rehear its decision that calls on the agency to move ahead in setting temperature limits for the Columbia and Snake rivers to protect salmon and steelhead.
Thirteen members of the Northwest congressional delegation, all Democrats from Washington and Oregon, asked the federal government this week to extend the comment period on the draft environmental impact statement on Columbia/Snake River dams until 30 days after the Covid-19 public health emergency is over.
As of this week, Idaho Fish and Game has not closed any fishing or hunting seasons in response to Covid-19, and the department is providing guidelines in accordance with Gov. Brad Little’s orders for social distancing at least six feet apart, including while fishing and at access sites and boat ramps.
Inspectors at the Dillon, Montana watercraft inspection station had a busy start to early season boat inspections, with Covid-19 news prompting Canadian boaters in the United States heading north for the border.
With Covid-19 halting public meetings, The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife last week instead conducted a livestream to explain and gather public input on the potential for “thermal angling sanctuaries” in select Oregon tributaries upstream of Bonneville Dam.
NOAA Fisheries is accepting comments on two proposed Endangered Species Act determinations for salmon hatchery operations in Yankee Fork and Panther Creek, upper Salmon River tributaries in central Idaho.
