APPENDIX 



September 25, 1993 



Additional Material Submitted for the Hearing Record 



Paul a Lorenziw j.q S.W S.xth M-enue. S«„, !^,y, 



"*'"'"" Portland. Oreyuir 97204 



(5031 ^64-o3d5 

 FAX 15031 464-6777 



A Dwiiiuii ct PjiiriCjrp 



# WNCinC POWVER 



October 22. 1993 



The Honorable Larry LaRocco 

 United Stales House of Representatives 

 1117 Longworth House Office Building 

 Washington, D.C. 20515-1201 



Dear Congressman LaRocco: 



This letter responds to your request to me during the September 25 hearing for 

 further information about BPA's funding of regional fish and wildlife programs. 

 I commented that the investments SPA is making in fish and wildlife programs 

 could be targeted more effectively to meet statutory requirements. 



As you know, BPA is responsible for funding fish and wildlife measures to mitigate 

 for the impacts of the Federal Columbia River Power System (FCRPS). In 1993, for 

 example. BPA spent over $150 million in foregone revenues and power purchase 

 costs to provide increased river flows for fish. We are concerned, however, that BPA 

 also is funding costly fish and wildlife programs and measures that are not related to 

 the development or operation of the federal hydropower system or could conflict 

 with its other statutory obligations. 



Here are some examples: 



• BPA has spent $57 million to date to underwrite habitat enhancement 

 projects throughout the Columbia Basin to mitigate for the impacts of land 

 management activities including forestry, grazing, and irrigation. Annual 

 operation and maintenance costs for these projects add about $3.5 million to 

 BPA's budget. 



While many of these are undoubtedly good projects that benefit ftsb, they 

 are aimed at mitigating activities other than hydro operations. They are 

 clearly not BPA's responsibility. In fact, in its recent function-by- 

 function review, BPA concluded that: "Within BPA's Fish and Wildlife 

 Program... about two dollars is spent for offsite enhancement for each 

 dollar spent to understand or rectify the adverse effects of the Federal 

 Columbia River Power System." 



• To date, BPA has spent $10 million to fund an enforcement program to help 

 reduce illegal salmon harvest. While this program benefits salmon stocks, 

 this law enforcement responsibility belongs with state fishery resource 

 managers. Illegal salmon harvests are not connected to or caused by 

 federal hydro system operations. 



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