Received today

Folks,

Below is a short summary of the current language in the Energy bill currently being debated on the floor of the U.S. Senate. The provision in the bill dealing with hydro-relicensing is dreadful. It tilts the playing field strongly in favor of the utilities going through the relicensing process at the expense of citizen groups who try to participate in the process, state and federal fish and wildlife agencies, and the Tribes who advocate for better fish passage and habitat protection. Indeed it would allow utilities to proposes alternatives to fish passage including hatcheries and off-site mitigation that could little or nothing for restoring fish passage and healthy fish populations. If these provision were in place before we may never have got the improved conditions for steelhead, salmon etc in the Skagit and other Westside rivers. The information below is provided by American Rivers. I strongly urge each of you to make a call to Senator Murray’s office and ask for Doug Clapp, her natural resource staffer (phone number below). They are being pressed hard by the utilities on this issue and it could come up for a vote at any time. The Bingaman amendmtn is designed to correct these problems.



Bill Arthur

Below is a more crisp version of the hydro action called for in my previous email. Feel free to circulate this more widely. -Michael

The Senate is about to vote on the hydropower title of the Energy Bill, which would amend the Federal Power Act. The Federal Power Act regulates hydropower dam licensing.

This is very important for river habitat protection and fish passage, particularly in the NW where many of our salmon and steelhead rivers are impacted by dam operations. The short story is that the current version of the Senate bill would:

allow hydropower operators to avoid putting in fish passage at dams
enable hydropower operators to substitute less effective environmental protection measures for those proposed by federal natural resource agenices
and place the interests of hydropower operators above those of other stakeholders, such as fishers.
American Rivers has been working diligently to prevent passage of this bad bill. The antidote is an amendment offered by Senators Bingaman and Inouye. More detailed information on the Bingaman/Inouye Amendment are attached. Essentially, the Bingaman/Inouye Amendment would:

not allow dam owners to avoid putting in fish passage facilities if fish passage is recommended by NMFS or the US Fish and Wildlife Service
would require that any alternative environmental protections proposed by dam owners provide the same level of protection as those proposed by federal resource agencies
and would give all parties equal standing in the licensing process.
It is important that Senator Murray hear from the conservation and fishing community today or tommorow at the latest. The core message is that she should support the Bingaman Amendment to protect our rivers and fish and wildlife. Her DC office # is 202-224-2621. Thanks.




Support the Bingaman/Inouye Amendment on Hydropower


Talking Points:





· The language of the Bingaman/Inouye amendment was endorsed by the hydropower industry during House consideration last year.



· The Bingaman/Inouye amendment gives the hydropower industry something they’ve asked for – an opportunity to compel federal agencies to adopt more cost-effective environmental measures – without trampling environmental standards or public participation.



· The Bingaman/Inouye amendment creates a single new procedure that will add minimal complexity to the hydropower licensing process – as opposed to the three new procedures in Section 511 (Hydro Title of Energy Bill) that could delay the process for 2-3 years!



· The Bingaman/Inouye amendment is consistent with existing FERC procedures, making the new procedure open to all parties involved in the FERC licensing process, including states, Indian tribes, sportsmen and other members of the public interested in river regulation.



· The Bingaman/Inouye amendment requires that alternative measures for protection of federal lands provide “no less protection” than the measures proposed by the land management agencies.



· The Bingaman/Inouye amendment requires that alternative measures for fish passage past hydropower dams be “no less effective” than the fish passage measures proposed by the fisheries agencies.



· The language of the Bingaman/Inouye amendment was endorsed by 25 state attorneys general during the energy bill conference last year.



· The current Hydro Title of the Energy Bill (Section 511) (a) creates more process and delay; (b) reduces protections for rivers, fisheries, and federal lands; and (c) places the interests of hydropower companies over any other interest in the licensing process.





Urge Your Senator to Vote “YES” On The Bingaman Amendment

...and to think "70%" (using grandpa's numbers here so plus or minus fifty percent on that) of fishermen support this president.

What are people thinking? I'd love for someone to post a counter showing what this president HAS done for the environment, ON ANY LEVEL!

JUerry/stlhdh2o

In a matter of speaking terms, American Rivers (AR) SUCKS! What bunch of hypocrites!

After seeing and dealing with AR on the Cowlitz for over 3 years, I wouldn't trust them for one single second, nor would I do what they have recommended! Let's see the entire bill before we are asked to make any judgment calls. AR is good at telling people only what they want them to know!

I have lots more to say about AR, but I will let stlhdh2o keep putting his foot into . . .oh you know where!

Be very careful stlhdh2o; before you take me on about this issue. Do YOUR HOME WORK first! But if you do want take this issue on, you better have all yours ducks lined up in a roll before you attempt to do it! I got some certified letters that I have written and the replies that I had sent to the Director of AR about the conduct, and the BS that their NW representative had did on the Cowlitz relicensing project that I would just love to have a reason to post!

They kind of think like you think, and I just can't wait to here how great and fair you think that this so-called environmental group is for our fish! I guess the clue should have been when I had their NW reprehensive spend the night at our home, and we cooked steaks; he said his girlfriend was a "scientist", and had convinced him not to eat anymore meat!

I have more!

Cowlitzfisherman