591 



In dealing with that, those were excluded because, again, they 

 are not operated the same way. There was concern that— — 



Mr. DeFazio. But could they not be potentially, if we looked at 

 them on a comprehensive basis, be operated in a difPerent way and 

 contribute in part to the solution? 



Mr, Pedde, In trying to deal with that question, that concern, we 

 did agree to look at a concept that said if there were a hypothetical 

 15th reservoir and it could provide water to the lower basin, what 

 advEintage would that be. And we proceeded on that basis. 



Mr. DeFazio. Okay. 



Mr. Pedde. I might go on to say that a lot of studies and so forth 

 that have been done under the SOR, the models, things like that, 

 have not been developed for the upper Snake. At this point, to try 

 to bring that in would probably delay the process 3 or 4 years. 



Mr. LaRocco. I have read in the National Performance Review, 

 otherwise known as re-inventing government, that your mission 

 may change. The suggestion was that you have done enough dam- 

 ming of the West and so you may move on to other things. But 

 mayoe there is one more dam that you might be working on. 



Mr. Pedde. I would not say we have quit building things. We 

 will build things but probably for different purposes and certainly 

 imder different circumstances and so forth. 



Mr. LaRocco. I wiQ just close my questions, Mr. Plenert, sort of 

 off the subject, but I have spoken with Randy Hardy and other peo- 

 ple on fish and wildlife about what I think you can do in a very 

 sincere way with BPA to avoid a Usting of the Kootenai sturgeon 

 in the northern part of my district. I think that you and BPA have 

 an opportimity to set a model here for federal agencies to get to- 

 gether prior to a Usting because I think there is an imminent Ust- 

 ing of that and I am a Uttle tired of any turf battles that have gone 

 on between BPA and Fish & Wildlife Service. I would like to lock 

 you guys in a room and work those flows out on Libby Dam and 

 whatever you can. I will work it out with Congressman WiUiams, 

 if I can, but I would like to show the people of my district, particu- 

 larly Boxmdary County, that federal agencies can get together prior 

 to a Usting and work this out instead of having you guys throw gre- 

 nades at each other about the Kootenai sturgeon. 



Mr. Plenert. That is a real challenge, and I do not think you 

 have to lock us in a room. I think we can lock ourselves in a room 

 and accept that one and in fact, we are going to do that. I cannot 

 guarantee what the outcome will be, but I beUeve that reasonable 

 people can sit around a table and solve things. And we are going 

 to try to. 



Mr. LaRocco. Would you do that, please, because my district is 

 beset with these problems. 



Mr. Plenert. I know. 



Mr. LaRocco. And it starts up there with woodland caribou. 



Mr. Plenert. Yes, it does. 



Mr. LaRocco. Kootenai sturgeon, grizzly bear, and it keeps going 

 south. 



Mr. Plenert. Wolves. 



Mr. LaRocco. Wolves, fish, snails. 



Mr. Plenert. When it comes to endangered species, you know, 

 like in this region alone, I have got almost 340 that I deal with and 



