16 



Congressman Wyden has brought to your attention and from stocks 

 of plenty to small distinct wild populations. 



Next, that the problems of wild stocks, once you are outside the 

 Columbia Basin and the effect of hydropower, for all intents and 

 purposes is habitat. That for the Columbia system there is no 

 single magical solution. It must be a holistic approach, including 

 the four "H's" that the Chairman has already mentioned. 



Finally, that the recovery requires a team effort. It must include 

 Federal agencies, State agencies, tribal governments as well as the 

 conservation and fish organizations. 



Mr. Chairman, back in November of 1991 the Service listed the 

 Snake River sockeye salmon as endangered. In April 1992 we listed 

 the Snake River spring/summer chinook salmon, and the Snake 

 River fall chinook salmon as threatened. Before us today we have 

 several petitions to review: the Umpqua River sea-run cutthroat 

 trout, the mid-Columbia summer chinook salmon, and five popula- 

 tions of Pacific coast coho salmon in Oregon. 



We are also conducting a status review for all coastal steelhead 

 stocks in California, Oregon, and Washington. Mr. Chairman, we 

 also are currently involved in numerous section 7 consultations, 

 through which Federal agencies assure that Federal actions are not 

 likely to jeopardize the continued existence of listed species; but I 

 caution because so many people confuse section 7 with recovery. 

 Section 7 is not a substitute for a recovery plan. 



Mr. Chairman, as of July 28th we have completed 132 consulta- 

 tions; we have issued several preliminary jeopardy statements. But 

 I am pleased to report to this committee that we have worked out a 

 compromise in deference to the fish on all 132 consultations, and 

 we have issued non-jeopardy statements because of the Federal co- 

 operation that we have had. 



Mr. Chairman, in closing, a couple notes. One, that the coast- 

 wide wild fish initiative is very similar to the President's plan in 

 that it focuses on an ecosystem approach, something that Congress- 

 woman Unsoeld brought to our attention two years ago which 

 simply states that a single species approach, where you have multi- 

 ple listed species in the drainage, simply will not work. We must 

 focus on all the species' needs. 



I would offer these comments on the president's forest manage- 

 ment plan. I have been a fisheries manager for nearly 15 years, a 

 decade-and-a-half, and it is my experience during that time that 

 there has never been full consideration of fish needs in land use 

 decisionmaking. 



Chairman Studds. I hate to do this to you, but could you wrap it 

 up? 



Mr. Schmitten. Yes, sir. I view the President's plan as a meas- 

 ure of equity for fish and wildlife. It recognizes that fish must be 

 protected outside the stream beds and into the riparian zones. It 

 will involve all land use decisions that affect fish, and I certainly 

 appreciate the opportunity to appear before your committee. 

 Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. 



[The statement of Mr. Schmitten may be found at end of hear- 

 ing.] 



