596 



ESA, the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes had every intention to use the Stanley Basin Sockeye as the 

 lever to correct the major issues causing its endangerment, which in turn would benefit all 

 Columbia Basin Anadromous Fish, and even to some degree endemic resident fish, wildlife and 

 riparian systems. We even had visions of this starting the Columbia River Basin on a road 

 towards holistic, ecosystem-based resource management. Then came Salmon Summit and some 

 promises. But now, it's back to business as usual - constant arguments and disagreements (for 

 example, the hydrosystem's heavy mortality getting a biological opinion of no jeopardy), and 

 endless stacks of competing words on paper. 



There are some successful enhancement programs in the Salmon River Basin. The hatchery 

 steelhead program provides large harvests for fishermen. The spring chinook program at Rapid 

 River Hatchery has provided significant harvests also. The chinook salmon program in the 

 South Fork Salmon River has provided harvest opportunity and overescaped naturally-producing 

 salmon above the hatchery weir for two years (the only area in the Salmon River where natural 

 salmon are at levels above the habitat carrying capacity). These examples defy the arguments 

 that the federal hydrosystem is the only limiting factor to enhancement of salmon in the Salmon 

 River. There are plenty of issues within the Salmon River Basin that need addressed, beyond 

 direct hydrosystem effects, aside from the Power Act. Hatchery practices, unscreened and 

 overly numerous irrigation diversions, habitat degradation, land and water stewardship practices 

 of the state of Idaho and private landowners are all major parts of the enhancement/recovery 

 puzzle in the Salmon River headwaters. These are not all fixable directly through the Power Act 

 - therefore, the Strategy should compliment the actions needed in these headwaters, but not 

 necessarily be the only driver. 



Analysis paralysis is a major weakness of the Strategy - studies and reports that do not result 

 in any meaningful protection or recovery. For example, the Strategy calls for a study of 

 watersheds in which water availability in tributaries is an important limiting factor for weak 

 stocks (6.6B14). There are major rivers in the headwaters (e.g.. Main Salmon River above 

 Sawtooth Hatchery, the Lemhi River) that are dewalered during chinook spawning times. 

 Studies are not needed, water is. Through the vast and tangled profusion of committees, 

 forums, and processes currently "necessary" to attempt to do any fish restoration or enhancement 

 actions, we have all been limited to thinking only with our minds, rather than our hearts. We 

 need to begin thinking with our hearts as well as our minds in order to restore the depleted 

 resources for the benefit of all, and to maintain the promises written into the Treaties. The 

 Treaties are the Supreme Law of the Land, and need to be the driving force rather than the E5A 

 or Power Act. The tribes must be allowed to be active resource managers, so that progressive 

 and positive improvements for the natural resources are a priority. Management occurs on the 

 ground, not within mountains of words on paper. 



Another major, and perhaps fatal weakness of the NPPC and its associated documents and 

 processes, is that the NPPC represents only a planning function. Because there is no capability 

 for implementing the Strategy, there is no assurance that even if the NPPC's plans were all 

 inclusive, that they would be implemented. 



Shoshone-Bannock Tribes Testimony Page 2 



BPA Task Force Hearings 



