Originally Posted By: pijon
And of course, taxpayers will pay the legal costs of these groups.


I'm not so fond of that part, but I think the case of the Elwha is different from the recent lawsuits regarding Puget sound hatchery plants (to which I was opposed) in two important ways:

1. We're not losing any meaningful sport fishing opportunity on the Elwha by not planting hatchery fish.
2. The habitat in the Elwha drainage is as near to pristine as exists in the lower 48 anymore, and I think it's an important testing ground for the concept of a self-sustaining, wild run of steelhead.

Ah, the irony that is advocating for sport fishing opportunity and wild fish recovery at the same time....