Here is my $0.02 worth (which I also posted on ifish BB).

Dr. Thomas as well as other conservation biologists, eg. Peter B. Moyle UCD, have been proponents for managing landscapes for ecosystem health for quite a while. Endangered species are typically a result of habitat modifications, fragmentation, or outright destruction. Fixing these problems involve landscape magnitude changes within the ecosystem in question. These are indeed formidable tasks requiring tough decisions. I totally agree that a "triage" system needs to be implemented. Many ecosystems and watersheds have no hope of being restored sufficiently to restore historic fisheries and available monies and effort should indeed focus on those ecosystems which do have a chance for succesful restoration. Fish species are very good indicators of what is or has been going on within a defined watershed and how ecosystem modifications have affected the fisheries populations, i.e. shifts in types of fish species persisting within a given reach, over time. The prospect for the successful outcome of correcting decades of insult to our watersheds throughout the Pacific NW as well as everywhere else in the world has very depressing prospects. However, there are success stories out there and by becoming proponenets for fixing the things which can be fixed we will take great steps towards the goal of salmon and steelhead restoration. WE must become very outspoken advocates of reasonable fisheries management. As the Dr. stated there are very few mysteries out there about what is wrong with our fisheries and what must be done to correct the situation. Sorry to say but we need to give up on the lost causes and focus on achievable goals.....it is depressing but major improvements can be accomplished. To implement the policies needed to effect change we also must give up on trying to keep every user group happy...everyone will have to take their lumps and in nearly every case forced to do so. Yes, this will mean livlyhoods will be impacted across many user groups in extraction industries but there is no other way to accomplish the substantial improvements in ecosystem health which are needed for fisheries restoration. WE certainly must acknowledge the existence of the "Elephant" and come to grips with the sacrifices which must be made to get him out of the room....it will not be easy and we must not be dis-heartened by the maginitude of the problems facing us.

enough of my ramblings. Think locally act globally!!

HB