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Rep. Furse re: Hatchery Reform and Habitat Protection, Mundy and Rhodes Page 3 



The activities of all governmental and private entities must be aligned and coordinated to effect 

 recovery. All government agencies must have missions that are compatible with the restoration 

 of river ecosystems. In this regard we recommend a broad ecosystem initiative based on 

 watershed protection and restoration that would inform the public about their dependence on the 

 resource, and that would integrate biological, social and cultural values. Such a comprehensive 

 approach is essential to replace existing government programs now aimed at salmon recovery 

 which are too narrowly conceived and imperfectly implemented to be of much help. 



We point out that comprehensive restoration programs are essential to align policies of 

 federal land management agencies to protect key habitats. Such restoration programs could work 

 by developing landscape-wide riparian protections, among other measures proposed by panel 

 members on March 9. In order to be effective, these programs must have evaluation criteria that 

 focus on measures of the health of the watershed, along with incentives for cooperation of private 

 land owners. 



The Importance of Habitat Protection 



As scientists, we know that suitable and sufficient natal habitat is a critical to restoring 

 naturally reproducing fish stocks. Unfortunately, non-point source pollution generated by land 

 uses such as tilled agriculture, grazing, logging, road construction and mining have already 

 significantly degraded extensive portions of the spawning and rearing habitat throughout much of 

 the Columbia basin (Theureretal., 1985; Plattsetal., 1989; IDHW, 1989; ODEQ, 1989; NPPC, 

 1990a; NPPC, 1990b; NPPC, 1990c; CRTTFC, 1991a; CRTTFC, 1991b). AvaUable data 

 consistently indicate that the degradation of natal habitat has severelv reduced the survival of the 

 few salmon that successfully run the hydroelectric gauntlet. In concert with the high levels of 

 mortality at Columbia basin hydroelectric facilities, the reduced survival in degraded natal salmon 

 habitat has fostered the dramatic declines in salmon and other fish populations throughout the 

 Columbia over die past five decades. There is a pressing need not only to protect habitat firom 

 fiirther degradation, but also to take measures that will allow salmon habitat to recover naturally 

 to the point where salmon survival is, once again, at levels conducive to rebuilding the salmon 

 runs. Very little high quality habitat remains. Protection of the remaining high quality habitat 

 must be a priority. We know that habitat protection is far more effective and inexpensive than 

 habitat restoration. 



Habitat degradation is a pervasive problem in the Columbia. Outside of wilderness and 

 roadless areas, riparian areas are in poor condition. Most 'managed" watersheds retain only a 

 fraction of their original natural fimctions as the degraded conditions offish habitat, water quality 

 and fish populations grimly attest. It is abundantly clear that the mere maintenance of the current 

 degraded status of salmon habitat will hamper or defeat efforts to rebuild the salmon rtms. In fact, 

 if existing conditions are maintained, it is probable that salmon and resident fish populations will 

 continue to dramatically decline and ultimately disappear from many streams throughout the 

 Pacific Northwest. Unfortunately, over most of the Columbia basin, management aimed at habitat 

 restoration and protection is not even on the horizon. There are very few watersheds that are 

 currently in recovery mode, yet degradation of fish habitat continues on an vast scale. 



