If we look back to the 1970's at salmon abundance, I believe that a major factor was that hatchery salmon were spawning naturally in many of our rivers. I spent a lot of time on the Green as a young fishcop, and there were Chinook spawning in the river downstream of the hatchery in big numbers. Coho were not as easily seen because of higher water. When I moved to the Kelso area, I was astounded by even greater abundance in the Toutle and Kalama - both with good hatchery programs. If you look at Dave Croonquist's analysis of how the hatchery fish have been moved around from river to river by the millions over the last seventy years, it's easy to conclude that our true wild fish are very rare. If we have a "good" genetic stock in our hatcheries, I think we can have a much quicker true "recovery", by letting hatchery fish spawn naturally. As it now stands we are protecting actual hatchery fish that have spawned in the wild and have a fin. Salmon are very adaptable and are continuing to evolve. I've seen Coho introduced to a barren stream on the lower Columbia, who thrived and now have viable "Wild" run.