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perfect knowledge before taking action, and must act on the basis of the best scientific 

 information available at that time. To help identify areas where we most need to improve 

 our understanding, the Strategy for Salmon calls on an independent scientific group to 

 identify "key uncertainties" — questions whose answers are most crucial to the success of 

 program measures in rebuilding salmon and steelhead populations 



2. Most of the Strategy for Salmon is being implemented, but we are concerned about 

 the timeliness of implementation coordination between federal and state agencies. 



At minimum, our answer to this question focuses on implementation by Bonneville 

 because Bonneville is the focus of this task force. But the Council also monitors 

 implementation of the salmon strategy by all agencies. We produce a monthly status report 

 of implementation. I have included a copy of our latest report with this testimony as 

 Appendix One. 



In April 1993 the Council conducted its first Salmon Strategy Progress review, a 

 review of implementation progress that we intend to convene annually. At that time, we 

 estimated that 90 percent of the salmon strategy was being implemented. The meeting 

 included policy leaders from all agencies that are charged with implementing the strategy and 

 from the region's Indian tribes, utilities and federal and state fish and wildlife agencies. 

 Some of the key commitments made at the meeting included: 



• River operators agreed to provide increased Snake River flows in the summer 

 to help salmon; 



• Fish and wildlife agencies supported a controversial study ~ it's now under 

 way — of the relationship between increased flows and increased fish survival; 



• Tne Corps of Engineers, Bonneville and the National Marine Fisheries Service 

 agreed to continue the series of river drawdown evaluations in the salmon 

 strategy. 



• Washington and Oregon reported that salmon harvest has been reduced to 

 levels below those called for by the Council, and the states agreed to further 

 investigate alternative techniques of commercial fishing. 



About two months after the Progress Review, however, Bonneville Administrator 

 Randy Hardy announced a rate increase for the 1993-1995 rate period that will average about 



