look at the past few years as the efforts have been underway to 

 find solutions and to test different approaches, you will see that 

 those involved in agriculture who are the ones who are in most of 

 the front line hit with regard to Idaho's water right, now have al- 

 ready made major efforts. 



The Idaho legislature has actually changed its law on a tem- 

 porary basis for a test to allow water which was under our law 

 dedicated solely to agricultural uses to be diverted to be used for 

 assisting in the solution to the salmon problem to see if it would 

 work and I can tell you that the Idaho agricultural community is 

 ready to do its part. 



What they are asking is that they simply not be focused on as 

 the sole portion of the solution. 



Mr. Studds. Any other questions? I want to thank you very 

 much. Your full statement will appear in the record. I suppose that 

 I should confess that in the mid-1970's when we were writing the 

 Fisheries Conservation and Management Act as a sophomore from 

 New England I had to inquire why the State of Idaho would be in 

 a fisheries management council. 



I gather if we had written this act 50 years before that we would 

 have to put Montana on it as well. 



Mr. Crapo. That is correct. That is correct, Mr. Chairman. 



Mr. Studds. This is an awesome creature. 



Mr. Crapo. The salmon runs in Idaho which, has been said, are 

 dwindling, are one of the greatest environmental treasures that we 

 have lost and our people truly do seek to have them restored. 



Mr. Studds. We thank you very much. Without objection, the 

 statements of the gentleman from Texas, Mr. Fields, and the gen- 

 tleman from New Jersey, Mr. Saxton will be placed in the record 

 at this point. 



[Statement of Hon. Jack Fields follows:] 



Statement of Hon. Jack Fields, a U.S. Representative from Texas, and 

 Ranking Minority Member, Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries 



Mr. Chairman, our hearing today will focus on possible solutions for recovering 

 Columbia River salmon stocks that have been listed by the National Marine Fish- 

 eries Service (NMFS) under its authority from the Endangered Species Act. 



In response to listing the Snake River's sockeye salmon as an endangered species 

 in 1991, the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), under its authority in the 

 Endangered Species Act, appointed a recovery team to develop a recovery plan for 

 the species. When two additional stocks (fall and spring/summer chinook) were list- 

 ed as threatened in 1992, the recovery team's responsibilities were expanded to in- 

 clude these species. The team's final recommendations were forwarded to NMFS on 

 June 14, 1994. Other organizations have also prepared plans for salmon species. 

 These include a Strategy for Salmon developed by the Northwest Power Planning 

 Council and, most recently, a Tribal Restoration Plan developed by the tribes in the 

 Northwest. 



NMFS will review these plans as well as other recommendations and develop a 

 final recovery plan for endangered and threatened salmon species. The final recov- 

 ery plan will not be self-implementing, though it will be used as a guide for various 

 agencies in refining their management plans, procedures, and strategies. 



Our hearing coincides with the initial stages of development of a final recovery 

 plan by NMFS for the threatened and endangered species in the Columbia River. 

 The hearing will review issues that are relevant to the recovery of the species 

 throughout their life cycle. This includes spawning and rearing habitat, downstream 

 survival, transportation systems around impediments in the river, predation, har- 

 vest, and upstream survival around dams. 



I look forward to hearing the testimony from the various witnesses today as we 

 seek a better understanding of this issue. 



