Ms. Shepherd. 



STATEMENT OF HON. KAREN SHEPHERD 



Ms. Shepherd. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am dehghted to be 

 here learning about this process. 



Utah is one of those places that will be impacted by what the de- 

 cisions are, and I look forward to representing their interests. 



Thank you. 



Mr. DeFazio. Mr. LaRocco. 



STATEMENT OF HON. LARRY LaROCCO 



Mr. LaRocco. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and it is with great 

 pleasure that I refer to my colleague from Oregon as "Mr. Chair- 

 man" today, and hope that this reference becomes permanent in 

 the future. Thank you also. Chairman DeFazio, for taking on the 

 immense task of oversight of the BPA, or Bonneville Power Admin- 

 istration. 



Both Bonneville and the entire Northwest, including Idaho, have 

 benefited from strong leadership in the region's congressional dele- 

 gation over the years. As a result, BPA has been able to provide 

 electric power at consistent and predictable rates. It is vital to the 

 future of both Bonneville and the Northwest that BPA remain 

 strong and yet flexible to cope with the challenges which face the 

 Nation and our region. 



One of these challenges is whether and to what degree wild Chi- 

 nook and sockeye salmon will return to Idaho. Although I know the 

 main thrust of today's hearing is budgetary, I do want to make a 

 few comments about the endangered salmon which also affect 

 BPA's budget. 



Many of the members of this task force are well aware of the 

 amazing odyssey of the Snake River salmon. For thousands of 

 years, these salmon, bom in headwater streams and lakes, mi- 

 grated up to 1,000 miles to the Pacific Ocean. Beginning as far in- 

 land as Red Fish Lake, named for the color of the salmon, in 

 Central Idaho, they roamed as far north as Alaska and as far south 

 as California before returning upstream to their birthplace to 

 spawn. 



In 1985, Snake River coho salmon were declared extinct. In 1991, 

 Snake River sockeye, spring, summer and fall chinook were listed 

 as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act. In 

 1992, just one sockeye returned to Red Fish Lake. For these mag- 

 nificent fish to become extinct under our watch is simply unaccept- 

 able, so we have a lot of work to do. 



Along those lines, Mr. Chairman, I have prepared a number of 

 questions, which I ask to submit for the record, and will do so at 

 the proper time. I look forward to Mr. Hardy's testimony and fol- 

 low-up questions, and I appreciate his presence here today at this 

 heEiring. 



Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 



Mr. DeFazio. I appreciate the gentleman's remarks and would 

 state that we will hold a future hearing focusing on this issue, and 

 we will work together with the gentleman to coordinate the site of 

 that hearing and the timing. 



