65 



To take this question a bit further, it is interesting to 

 consider what a BPA government corporation would look like. What 

 would a government corporation that did not simply reflect BPA's 

 "business" side, but equally reflected its fisheries 

 responsibilities, look like? 



This new BPA would move away from viewing itself as a business 

 in the traditional sense, toward the concept of resource 

 stewardship. It would consider its shareholders to be the 

 residents of the Northwest, the true owners of the public water 

 resources of the Columbia Basin. It would consider its customers 

 to be not only its business customers, such as the utilities and 

 the aluminum companies, but also the fish and wildlife agencies and 

 Indian tribes. 



The new BPA would include on its Board of Directors 

 representatives of the region's fish and wildlife agencies, Indian 

 tribes, fishing communities, and environmental groups. It would 

 be accountable to the Board of Directors not simply for least cost 

 power production and operation as a business, but also for true 

 multiple use of the public water resource, including equitable 

 treatment of fish and wildlife. The Board of Directors would 

 oversee BPA operations and serve as a check on its decisionmaking. 



Unfortunately, this does not appear to be the new, more 

 business-like BPA that the agency itself envisions or is proposing. 



Q. Would changes in Bonneville's governing statutes be necessary 

 or desirable if Bonneville is made into a government corporation? 



If BPA is made into a government corporation, we recommend 

 that the four items outlined above — including a completed 

 settlement of Columbia Basin fish flow and passage issues and a 

 least cost plan for fish and power — be incorporated into its new 

 charter. BPA's other environmental obligations should be preserved 

 without modifications. Absent this environmental package, BPA 

 should not be allowed to make other changes in its governing 

 statutes. 



A related matter that should be clarified before restructuring 

 is BPA's relationship to Columbia Basin Indian tribes. Federal 

 agencies are obligated to protect fishery resources pursuant to the 

 tribes' treaty rights to fish and based on the federal government's 

 general trust responsibility to the tribes. These responsibilities 

 should be fully preserved and incorporated into the new charter as 

 well. 



American Rivers would not object to some changes in BPA's 

 governing statutes related to personnel, procurement, and property 

 decisions. Of course, there must be assurance that this new 



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