/' 371 



8 



additional powers to require compliance with its program, or, the President will have to use his 

 power as Chief Executive and the Congress its power over appropriations to bring Bonneville an 

 the Corps to heel. 



The Council has evolved into a very expensive mediation service. In my view, it has developed ; 

 institutional culture and inertia that is not reformable without direct action by the Congress. It is 

 for a directed GAO investigation: Has the council outlived its usefulness? Does it need a new jot 

 description? How can it be held accountable to the intent of Congress and to the standards of the 

 Act? 



At minimum, the Council needs annual congressional oversight. It needs authority to accept, hold 

 trust and disburse Bonneville funds to implement the Fish and Wildlife Program. [See response to 

 e] below.] 



Congress should require the Council to include natural gas in its regional energy planning; failure ti 

 do so is patendy ridiculous. 



c] Incorporating salmon recovery measures into the Northwest Coordinating Agreement. 



Yes. Remember, virtually if not the only salmon recovery meastired with a substantive effect on 

 annual operations are those related to the pivotal issue of downstream migrant passage, i.e., main- 

 stem reservoir draw downs and supjjlemental flow augmentation. PNCA signators are for the most 

 part if not unanimously determined these pivotal measures will never be implemented. Even if they 

 are, PNCA signators will annually obfuscate and dissemble. There is no alternative to Congress 

 direaing the capital investments required to implement drawdowns and to include representation of 

 the region's fish and wildlife agencies, including tribes, in PNCA operations. 



d] Adopting a new agreement or creating a new regional entity among BPA, the Corps of 

 Engineers, the Bureau of Reclamation, the Council and others to administer annual river 

 operations; 



The Council to its shame established a Fish Operations Executive Committee at the behest of 

 Bonneville and its pork barrel constituents wWch has diluted what littie influence the region's fishery 

 agencies had over annual river operations. This is yet another example of the Council's propensity 

 for form and process over reality. Until the President and/or the Congress mandates 

 implementation of required structural modifications and flow regimes, no agreement or entity will 

 deliver salmon recovery. In the event, any fish flow rule curve would be annually compromised and 

 ultimately nibbled to death without the full ana equal participation of the region's fishery agencies in 

 any new agreement or regional entity to administer armual river operations. Bonneville's customers, 

 unless they own an affected storage project, should not be represented in any such agreement or 

 entity; Boimeville can always be counted on to represent their interests in spades. 



