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final recommendations to NMFS . We intend to use the Team's 

 recommendations as an important component of the final NMFS 

 recovery plan. However, NMFS will prepare independently that 

 document after taking into consideration the views of the 

 involved States and Indian Tribes. Before issuing a final plan, 

 NMFS will publish in the Federal Register, for notice and 

 comment, a proposed plan, including an analysis of the 

 differences between the Team's recommendations and NMFS' proposed 

 recovery plan. NMFS plans to piiblish its proposed recovery plan 

 early this fall and approve a final plan by the end of this 

 calendar year. 



I would now like to turn to the specific questions you asked in 

 your letter of invitation. 



EVALUATION OF THE TEAM'S RECOMMENDATIONS: I would like to 



comment specifically on the Team's final recommendations to NMFS. 

 The recommendations represent an important step in the recovery 

 planning process. Our initial appraisal of the Team's 

 recommendations is that they provide a framework from which we 

 can propose a formal recovery plan in order to fulfill the 

 requirements of the ESA. 



We agree with the Team's conclusion that a myriad of different 

 factors affects the survival of Columbia and Snake River salmon, 

 and no single solution will lead to recovery. We also agree that 



