These legendary fish form the cukural economic and ecological 

 backbone of the Northwest. As recently as 1988 the recreational 

 and commercial salmon fishery contributed more than $1 billion 

 annually to the Northwest economy and provided an estimated 

 60,000 jobs in the region. 



The Pacific Northwest tribes rely as they have through time im- 

 memorial on the salmon for the commercial subsistence and reli- 

 gious activities of their people. Salmon are the defining symbol of 

 the Northwest. But the salmon are in trouble. They are returning 

 to the spawning grounds in record low numbers and three Colum- 

 bia River basin stocks are already listed under ihe ESA. 



Our commercial salmon fishery was recently closed for the first 

 time in our State's history and this closure has prompted the Ad- 

 ministration to announce a $15.7 million disaster relief assistance 

 package. 



It is clear that we must take action and we must take it now or 

 we will lose our salmon forever. What is less clear is exactly what 

 strategy should be pursued. Millions of dollars have already been 

 spent in recent years to recover the salmon but these efforts have 

 failed to stop their decline. 



The time, it seems to me, has come to stop fighting among our- 

 selves. We need a creative, bold regional recovery plan. We must 

 allow the rivers to heal. We must create again the habitat for salm- 

 on production. Every interest will have to make a sacrifice in order 

 to solve this problem. There is no more time for special interests. 

 There is only time for solutions. 



So we have convened you, the experts on the issue, to give us 

 your best ideas on the route we should take to reach the road to 

 salmon recovery. I am eager to hear your ideas. How we address 

 this issue is critical, not only to the Columbia River, but to the en- 

 tire Northwest because how the recovery process progresses in the 

 Columbia River Basin will set the stage for salmon recovery 

 throughout the region where stocks are equally troubled. 



I thank you, Mr. Chairman, for your attention and I look forward 

 to the testimony. 



Mr. Studds. The gentleman from New Jersey, do you have a 

 statement? We welcome our colleague from Washington, Congress- 

 man Dicks, to sit with us like a member of the Committee. 



Mr. Dicks. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate you having 

 this hearing. 



Mr. Studds. We are pleased to have you here. I hope you will 

 come more often. We will go first to our colleague, Congressman 

 Michael Crapo from Idaho. Mr. Crapo, welcome. 



STATEMENT OF HON. MICHAEL CRAPO, A U.S. 

 REPRESENTATIVE FROM IDAHO 



Mr. Crapo. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I have 

 submitted some written remarks and would request that they be 

 made a part of the record of this hearing. 



Mr. Studds. Without objection. Please feel perfectly free to be as 

 brief as you wish. 



Mr. Crapo. I would appreciate that. I understand how this 

 works. Mr. Chairman, as another member from the Northwest, I 

 too appreciate this Committee holding these hearings and I appre- 



