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alone, or indeed the mandate of any individual federal agency Together 

 and with support from Congress, a new Forum may be possible BPA 

 would be willing to participate in such a whole-salmon view approach, if 

 one were established. 



The Forum alone, however, cannot address the full range of issues 

 affecting Columbia River salmon survival. As noted in our testimony, 

 sabnon in coastal streams and the lower Columbia River are suffering 

 population declines clearly not associated with hydroelectric operations. 

 The SOR Forum can address effects on salmon of Columbia River System 

 operations, but a broader forum would be required to encompass harvest 

 and habitat issues, particularly those associated with the international, open 

 ocean phase of the salmon's life cycle. 



Answer 6b: Changing the membership, structure, or authorities of the Council. 



Structuring of the Northwest Power Planning Council and integrating its 

 role and authorities with those of Bonneville was a bold experiment in 

 1980. Some may argue that the experiment failed — that the Council was 

 not provided sufficient authority over the federal operating and regulatory 

 entities Others hold that the Council politicizes a highly technical industry 

 and has too great an influence in regional power issues At times, both 

 BPA and the Council have pushed at the edges of our separate authorities 

 and have tested the durability of the relationship mandated by the 

 Congress At no time has that relationship been more strained than at the 

 present, precipitated by a number of regional and global problems including 

 drought, depressed aluminum prices, the shutdown of Trojan, and 

 environmental concerns centering around fish and wildlife. Yet, no one has 



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