This is becoming more and more standard among governmental use of scientific advisors and commissions, not to mention their very own biologists and ecologists within their own agencies.

I'll shy away from Bush bashing, because this practice of establishing a commission to scientifically justify past practices and the maintenance of the status quo is prevalent among both major parties, though perhaps more within the GOP, and even more with the current administration.

I've been hearing rumblings and rumors lately that WDFW is a bit bummed that the HSRG (Hatchery Scientific Review Group) is going to declare that their hatchery programs have been pretty much run willy nilly with no standards for performance or monitoring of success, and that the original plan of actually using HSRG's recommendations to revamp hatchery programs may be relegated to "trying some of them on one hatchery" to see how it works.

I applaud the courage of these scientists to come forward and make it public...and if their findings are not going to the administration, but to the regional adminstrators of NOAA Fisheries (Bob Lohn), then I guess we'll have to pick up the ball and pass it around among the folks who need to hear about it.

I think that the PNW public does indeed think that salmon recovery is important, and I'm sure they would be interested in finding out how much $$$ is being spent to NOT get it as things are going now.

Can you guys imagine what the Columbia River may look like if the billions spent there on salmon enhancement had been used to decommission a dam or two and protect habitat in the tributaries where the fish can still get access for spawning? I'd guess there would be a lot more wild fish.

Fish on...

Todd