53 



• XSS?" NORTHWEST POWER PLANNING COUNQL 



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Testimony of R. Ted Bottlger. Chairman 



Nortliwest Power Planning Council 



before the 



Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries 



U.S. House of Representatives 



June 30. 1994 



Good morning. Chairman Studds eind members of the Committee. Thank 

 you for the opportunity to testily at this oversight hearing on the recovery of 

 threatened and endangered Columbia River Basin salmon stocks. 



The Council appreciates the opportunity to comment on the Recovery 

 Team's recommendations to the National Marine Fisheries Service. We are 

 continuing to review the recommendations, and I am happy to offer you our 

 analysis based on the work we have done to date. 



You asked three specific questions, and we address them in detail in this 

 written testimony. Your first question asks whether the Recovery Team's 

 recommendations wiU lead to the recovery of listed stocks. As I am sure Dr. 

 Bevan will concur, there are substantial biological uncertainties that make it 

 impossible to answer that question with certainty. Full implementation of the 

 Team's recommendations and the Council's salmon strategy provides the best 

 hope not only for recovery but for rebuilding to levels that will support a 

 sustainable fishery. 



Your second question asks whether there are alternative approaches that 

 would increase the likelihood of recovery. As I will discuss later in this testimony, 

 the Council will be reviewing a number of additional salmon survival 

 improvements this summer and fall. We are undertaking this review because we 



