13 



region. So we must immediately institute a storm-proofmg strategy 

 to secure these best remaining areas. 



Sixth, following the protection of these areas, and we emphasize 

 again that that is a key point, that we must first protect and 

 secure these areas before we institute watershed level restoration 

 strategies. Following that step, we believe that whole watershed 

 level restoration strategies can be implemented that include the 

 private landowners and others. In fact, we think that a whole new 

 strategy is needed to implement those kind of strategies. 



That strategy would include focusing on the best remaining habi- 

 tat areas within the system, to identify and protect the best re- 

 maining biological hot spots found within the whole system and to 

 wrap restoration around expanding and linking the best remaining 

 areas rather than focusing on the most degraded areas. All of those 

 steps would require new Federal policies. Finally, we believe, in 

 summary, that a new strategic Federal watershed restoration initi- 

 ative is needed throughout the Pacific Northwest that, again, 

 begins on Federal lands and then moves down to the private lands. 

 Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 



[The prepared statement of Mr. Doppelt can be found at the end 

 of the hearing.] 



Mr. Studds. Thank you very much for your very thoughtful testi- 

 mony. Did you say there hadn't been a major rain event in Seattle? 



Mr. Doppelt. I think it is raining today in Seattle. No major 100- 

 year rain event has occurred throughout the region except north of 

 Seattle. 



Mr. Studds. I see. I sort of thought it was a major rain event. I 

 want to thank you for an exceptionally thoughtful testimony. As I 

 indicated at the outset, I am going to have to leave very shortly, 

 and please do not interpret that as a lack of interest or concern on 

 my part. I was depressed with life in general before I came this 

 morning, and you have deepened that. So, obviously, your testimo- 

 ny has been very effective. It is, like so many things, enormously 

 complex and obviously has no single easy solution. 



I think you have all suggested that. You have all suggested that 

 in its complexity we are really dealing with cumulative effects, 

 and, therefore, the response, whatever it is, has to be comprehen- 

 sive in nature. And I would imagine we would have to find some 

 way to work on private — obviously, you have mentioned that — as 

 well as public lands, which is always difficult, especially here. 



At the very end, Mr. Doppelt, you began to give some specifics. I 

 assume we are not going to develop a comprehensive solution to 

 this problem before this hearing is over, but if each of you could 

 have us do one or two things at the Federal level which would con- 

 stitute the most productive and creative start at a solution, what 

 kind of things would they be? I don't suppose I should ask you to 

 imagine yourself as king for a day or whatever the appropriate 

 image is, but if you had a magic wand at the Federal level and you 

 could implement one or two either changes in existing law or en- 

 actments of additional law, what would you have us do right out of 

 the box, first off? Anybody? Mr. Doppelt. 



Mr. Doppelt. Mr. Chairman, it is a good question. I have about 

 10 things on my list, but I will only talk about one or two. I think, 

 as I have said, that the first step is to align the policies among the 



