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stocks as threatened in 1992; Snake River sockeye listed as 

 endangered in 1991), due in large part to construction and 

 operation of the Columbia River hydroelectric system. Willa 

 Nehlsen's (et al 1991)' landmark study, "Pacific Salmon at the 

 Crossroads: Stocks at risk from California, Oregon, Idaho, and 

 Washington," raised the stakes even higher in this crisis by 

 identifying 214 "at risk" (in immediate need of protection 

 because of low or declining population size) stocks of trout and 

 salmon in those states. The authors of this study also 

 identified 106 Pacific salmon stocks that had already been driven 

 to extinction. 



The new, stark reality for the region is that major changes must 

 be made very soon to the land and water development activities 

 that brought our salmon stocks to their knees. If such changes 

 do not occur soon, the Endangered Species Act and court orders 

 will dictate terms to the region for years to come. Pacific 

 salmon are at a crossroads. The time for talk and study of the 

 situation is rapidly dwindling. The time for bold actions, be 

 they administrative or legislative, is now. 



Two topics critical to protecting and recovering Pacific salmon 

 are those discussed today, habitat/watershed management and 

 hatcheries. Our comments on these issues are set out below. 

 The other critical components of the crisis are operation of the 

 Columbia River hydroelectric system and harvest of Pacific 

 salmon, by U.S. and Canadian harvesters. TU urges this Committee 

 to look carefully at these other issues also, because resolving 

 them will be crucial to ensuring recovery of these stocks. 



The Role of Hatcheries 



For too long, hatchery production of Pacific salmon has been the 

 option of choice and the path of least resistance for reconciling 

 the hard choices between extraction of some of the region's 



