Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber’s request for a $500 million increase in
federal spending on Columbia Basin and other Northwest salmon recovery
efforts is unrealistic, according to Sen. Gordon Smith, R-Ore.
But in a meeting in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, Kitzhaber, Smith and
the rest of the state’s congressional delegation agreed to make salmon
funding a top priority and to work together to obtain as much as
possible, an aide to Smith said.