36 



going forward. Other than that, we are prepared to move on recov- 

 ery. 



Mr. Lowe. I would like to agree really with what has been said. 

 The issue of fish being a major part of the President's plan for 

 forest where we have the northern spotted owl, and I think that 

 that plan recognizes the issues related to what the scientific data 

 is, but it takes the best information that is available at the time, 

 and it starts some action now rather than waiting until all that 

 data is put together. 



But in the same process, it puts together a system of doing wa- 

 tershed analysis that will allow us to refine as we move forward so 

 that we can take action now rather than waiting until the data is 

 refined. But it gives us that opportunity to adapt it as we go. I 

 think the issue really is we need to get on with it and not wait 

 until everybody agrees to what the perfect solution is. 



Ms. Cantwell. Well, I agree with that, we definitely need to get 

 on with it. But it seems to me that there are some differences 

 about what we actually use. 



I guess that comes to my second question, do you gentlemen here 

 who have really dealt with this on a day-to-day basis, have inter- 

 acted with each other, who have seen our inability to really finalize 

 this and move on, are you recommending that we establish a lead 

 agency in this or do we need to clarify a process by which that plan 

 is finalized and then implemented by the various entities? 



Mr. Hallock, you have been very blunt and brief today, how 

 about you? 



Mr. Hallock. My answer to you would be yes, there aren't two 

 parts to your question, there is one part. Yes is the answer, that 

 taking the second part first, you structure, you and Congress struc- 

 tured the response, and I believe that it probably will end up, 

 whether it is the czar or not, with some kind of better focal point 

 than we have today or — and/or what I suggested to Congresswom- 

 an Furse is that the President express his personal concern and 

 make that concern known to his cabinet which in turn will tell the 

 agencies below him that, by George, his intention is to recover the 

 salmon, the fish. 



Mr. Turner. Congressman, our development of a recommenda- 

 tion on this issue at the State of Washington is sort of with the 

 tribes as work in progress, but I can tell you that our sense is that 

 there needs to be a Federal coordinator. 



Now, whether that is in an agency or independent of an agency, 

 whether you acknowledge that there is a turf fight or there isn't a 

 turf fight, I think is something we will dodge, but a need for a coor- 

 dinator is necessary. 



One other point, before I conclude, about the forest plan and its 

 relation to fish. I hope the committee keeps in mind from our per- 

 spective that while the plan itself will be good for fish, it is at cur- 

 rent state of development focused on Federal lands, and as such it 

 will not recover the fish resources in the Northwest by itself be- 

 cause Federal lands are only, and in some places not a very big, 

 part of the habitat problem affecting fish resources. 



And so I would urge you to keep in mind the alternative or an 

 option that would allow private and State landowners to move into 

 habitat conservation plans along with Federal lands in those ripari- 



