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a 



OREGON TROUT 



TESTIMONY ON THE 



RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE SNAKE RIVER SALMON 



RECOVERY TEAM 



BEFORE THE HOUSE COMMITTEE 



ON MERCHANT MARINE AND FISHERIES 



June 30, 1994 



By Bill M. Bakke 

 Director of Resource Conservation 



I. INTRODUCTION: 



Oregon Trout is the lead petitioner for the three races of 

 Chinook in the Snake River listed under the Endangered Species 

 Act (ESA) . Our intent, in taking this action, is to recover 

 these salmon before they become extinct. These native salmon 

 populations represent what is left of the largest Chinook runs on 

 the West Coast of North America. These salmon are an ecological 

 treasure that, once lost, cannot be replaced. However, they 

 could once again contribute to the economic and ecological 

 vitality of the region, given effective recovery action. 



The failure of state, federal and tribal agencies to manage 

 these runs and their habitats for continued productivity has 

 resulted in their listing under the ESA. Salmon management has 

 largely been focused on commodity production rather than 

 maintaining the productivity of a diverse ecosystem. Yet, the 

 listed Snake River chinook and sockeye salmon are among many 

 salmon populations from central California to the Canadian border 

 that could be listed under the ESA. Petitions to list coho 

 salmon, steelhead, and cutthroat trout are pending. According to 

 the American Fisheries Society, a professional scientific 

 organization, there are at least 214 stocks of native anadromous 



To Protect anil Restore Native Fish and their Ecosystems ^w 



Water Tower Building • 5331 S.W. Macadam • Suite 228 • Portland, Oregon 97201 • (503) 222-9091 • FAX (503) 222 9187 



83-191 0-94-9 



