September 11, 1998

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE-Less Words, Same Number of Dead Salmon: The Gorton
(SEATTLE)-Fishing and conservation groups today blasted Senator Slade Gorton's latest "compromise" on Columbia and Snake River salmon recovery.

"Gorton's latest rider is unnecessary and counterproductive," said Tim Stearns of Save Our Wild Salmon, a coalition of 50 sport and commercial fishing groups, fishing businesses and conservation organizations. "It goes far beyond reiterating that Congress already has the power to authorize the removal of federal dams. Gorton's rider will tie the hands of regional fish managers, undermine informed, public debate and doom salmon to extinction in trucks and barges. We urge the President to veto this rider or his '1999 decisions' on long-term recovery are at risk."

On September 9th, Gorton amended his rider (section 343) to the Interior Appropriations bill to read:

"Unless specifically authorized by Congress or with the consent of licensees for dams licensed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, a Federal or State agency shall not require, approve, authorize, fund or undertake any action that would remove or breach any dam on the Federal Columbia River Power System or any dam on the Columbia or Snake Rivers or their tributaries licensed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission or diminish below present operational plans the Congressionally authorized uses of flood control, irrigation, navigation and electric power and energy generating capacity of any such dam."

While much shorter than Gorton's other Columbia salmon riders and bills, this amended rider has the same basic flaws:

It is not necessary. Congress will clearly have to authorize the removal of a federal dam. Nobody disputes this.
It undermines the Biological Opinion for the Columbia/Snake Rivers and ties the hands of regional salmon managers that need to make day-to-day operational changes at the dams.
It threatens a Habitat Conservation Plan recently negotiated between Douglas and Chelan County Public Utility Districts, which operate three dams on the mid-Columbia, and federal, state and tribal fish managers.
It will prevent resolution of fish passage problems at other Columbia dams, those owned by Grant County PUD for example.
It undermines the public debate on salmon recovery and could prevent federal and state agencies from making vital salmon recovery recommendations.
Senator Gorton's efforts to lock in the status quo of industrial river use is particularly distressing to the fishing community, coming only days after a potential fishing closure was announced for the Columbia River and tributaries.
"Senator Gorton's rider will continue to waste taxpayer funds on failed recovery strategies like fish barging, while the federal dams, the main killers of juvenile and adult salmon, go unchanged," said Judie Graham of the Washington Trollers Association. "We're willing to do our part to protect salmon, but not while the dams get away with killing up to 80% of the juveniles and 40% of the adult salmon. This is unfair and it won't save salmon. The Clinton Administration must show its commitment to salmon recovery and fishing families by vetoing Gorton's rider."

Senator Patty Murray has been seeking a compromise with Gorton that ensures Congress' role in any decision to remove a federal dam. However, she has been rebuffed and it is clear that Gorton wants to do far more than just ensure Congress' authority on dam removal. National and regional newspaper editorials have criticized Gorton's riders as going too far. An August 19th letter from Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber and Washington Governor Gary Locke to President Clinton stated, "By prejudging the benefits and costs of certain recovery measures, the rider severely undermines our regional effort to work towards such a plan" and urged a veto of the Interior bill.

"Gorton does a major public dis-service by misleading and inflammatory statements about dams and salmon," added Stearns. "We would prefer to work with the Northwest delegation to address problems and make thoughtful decisions. Unfortunately we are forced to attack Senator Gorton's self-serving pre-judgment of the issue."

Gorton's efforts to lock in the status quo of expensive and failed techno- fixes is exposing the Northwest's hydropower system and cheap power rates to outside scrutiny.

"Gorton's riders have been criticized by regional and national newspapers, taxpayer, fishing and conservation groups, the Clinton Administration, various agencies, and members of Congress," said Bill Arthur of the Sierra Club. "His efforts to protect four salmon-killing, taxpayer subsidized dams on the lower Snake River invites outside scrutiny of the Northwest's "special deal" for cheap electricity, which is coming at the expense of the salmon. I don't think too many folks want to see the status quo of taxpayer-subsidized extinctions continue."