270 



Ub-ZB-yi uy :. '7AM I" KOM GOVERNORS OFFICE m 



BARBARA ROBERTS 

 GOVERNOR 



orFice or Trie ooverwor 



6T«TE CAPITOL » 



S*LEM. OREGON 97310'0370 



TElCPMONE. i503i 37e-3l 1 1 



TOD i50Sr 3'e'«839 



June 27, 1994 



The Honorable Gerry E. Studda, Chairman 

 U.S. House of Representatives 

 Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries 

 Room 1334, Longworth House Office BIdg. 

 Washington, D.C. 20515-6230 



Dear Chalmrian Studde: 



Thank you for the opportunity to address your committee at Its oversight hearing 

 on the recovery of endangered Columbia River Basin salmon stocks on June 

 30th. Regrettably, I cannot be present In Washington D.C. on that date, and must 

 observe that copies of the Snake River Salmon Recovery Team's final 

 recommendations did not become available to us until late last week. I would 

 nonethftlBSfi like the foiiowinn obsen/ations shared with Committee members and 

 included in the record of the nearlng. Please understand that my Inability to 

 reschedule to attend does not indicate any lessening of the tremendous 

 Importance that I place on these Issues, or their importance to Oregonlans and to 

 the region. 



The recommendations of the Snake River Salmon Recovery Team present the 

 region with a first outline of a salmon recovery plan speolflo to the listed Snake 

 River species. Of course, the Northwest Power Planning Councira Strategy for 

 Salmon, a comprehensive program that alms at all slocks in the Columbia Basin, 

 should continue to bo Implemented while the work specific to the Snake River 

 species is completed. 



I commend the Team for Its effort which has generated many sound Ideas, but 

 also must recognize that the Team's recommendations do not do the whole Job. 

 Unfortunately many concerned parties are now taking up sides supporting or 

 opposing the team s recommendations. This complex resource management 

 issue win be better served If we concentrate on completing the Job of developing a 

 Snake River Salmon Recovery Plan, and my brief description of three 

 fundamental concorns is offered in that spint. 



First, the Team's recommendations are not assembled and presented wHhIn an 

 analytical framework that demonstrates the efficacy of the elements, singly or 



