56 



will rebuild and ultiijiately delist the Snake River sockeye. and spring/summer 

 and fall chlnook populations. The Council's mandate under the Northwest Power 

 Act is broader: to protect and enhance all salmon stocks In the Columbia River 

 Basin without damaging resident fish or wildlife populations eind while affording 

 the region an adequate, economical, affordable and reliable electric power supply. 

 This mandate is reflected in our Strategy, which is a major component of the 1994 

 Columbia River Basin Fish and WUdlife Program. The Strategy aims to restore 

 Scdmon populations throughout the Columbia River Basin to levels that will permit 

 the region to obtain the benefits of sustainable fishery resources. 



We remain convinced that it is important for the region to focus on this 

 broad goal and address all salmon stocks in the Columbia River Basin -- not just 

 those listed or proposed for listing under the Endangered Species Act. The 

 Northwest Power Act specifically requires us to include measures in our fish and 

 wildlife program that we determine will "complement the existing and future 

 activities of the Federal and the region's State fish and wildlife agencies and 

 appropriate Indian tribes." ' We interpret this direction to mean that our program 

 should be designed to protect all fish and wildlife populations in the basin and 

 rebuild the declining stocks to harvestable numbers. 



In our two-year effort to develop the Strategy, we conducted numerous 

 hearings and consultations, eveiluated substantial volumes of scientific and 

 technical analysis and identified all immediate and longer-term actions we 

 believed would be needed to rebuild Columbia Piiver salmon populations to 

 harvestable levels. Because the Recovery Team used the same information, it is 

 gratifying and reassuring that the result of the Team's extended process in 

 devising the recovery plan is largely consistent with the conclusions we reached in 

 our proceedings. We believe it is vital that the region continue to implement 

 expeditiously the provisions of the Council's Strategy. 



The Strategy is a living document, as the Northwest Power Act gives us the 

 opportunity to react fairly quickly to changing conditions and new. relevant 

 information. As I said earlier, the Act requires that our program be "based on. 



' Pacific Northwest Electric Power Planning and Conservation Act. Public Law 96-501. at 

 SecUon 4.(h)(6)(A). 



