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Chairman DeFazio and members of the House Committee on Natural Resources, thank 

 you for the opportunity to offer my comments regarding issues surrounding salmon recovery in 

 the Columbia River Basin. 



My name is Bruce Lovelin, and I am the Executive Director of the Columbia River 

 Alliance for Fish, Commerce, and Communities, an organization that brings together diverse 

 entities throughout the Northwest in support of a balance of economic, biological, cultural and 

 social values in management of the Columbia River system. 



We believe in maintaining a strong multi-use river system for the economic health of our 

 region and comprehensive efforts to preserve naturally spawning salmon that are based on good 

 science, least cost and economic reality. We are committed to the ideal that regional conunerce 

 and naturally reproducing salmon are compatible. 



The deterioration of Columbia River Basin salmon rims occurred over more than a 

 century, and the restoration of the runs will at least require several decades. The region can 

 either use this time wisely, or we can spend our energy and funds simply spinning our wheels 

 mired in regional politics and the pursuit of worthless alternatives. 



Columbia River Alliance members contribute much to the economic prosperity and quality 

 of life of Pacific Northwest citizens. CRA supports tangible, well-reasoned solutions for salmon 

 recovery. The Alliance recommends that an effective plan for salmon recovery should adopt 

 features basic to any successful venture, whether public or private in nature. In reference to your 

 stated questions, we believe these features include: 



1. Setting priorities for the actions to be taken. This is an element we suggested that the 

 Northwest Power Planning Council adopt in its "Strategy for Salmon," plan. 

 Unfortunately, the council has not adopted priorities in its fish and wildlife planning. To 

 avoid placing emphasis on questionable alternatives, the Council must prioritize the broad 

 range of recovery alternatives, based on their contribution to the goal of increased adult 

 returns of threatened or endangered salmon species to the Snake River. 



2. Establishing firm technical justification for the actions pursued. The Endangered Species 

 Act (ESA) administrative record aboimds with technical documentation. For example, 

 expert testimony cautions the region about the high biological risks associated with 

 reservoir drawdown proposals. This technical record reveals that many biologists are 



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