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We disagree strongly with many aspects of Canada's position on equity. Nevertheless, 

 we are not convinced that the State Department has done all it can to explore 

 reasonable options with the Canadians that could break the impasse. Our 

 representatives to the U.S. Section of the Pacific Salmon Commission remain 

 prepared to pursue such options. 



We believe that the U.S. should aggressively pursue development of the concept it has 

 put forward in the government-to-government discussions. Moving forward on this issue 

 will take strong, consistent federal leadership and involvement. We believe that there 

 are serious flaws in the Canadian approach to quantifying equity status. To date, the 

 U.S. has not succeeded in convincing Canada of those flaws. We need to counter the 

 Canadian perspective with a clear and objective alternative, with specific timelines for 

 completion and implementation. 



The status quo is not acceptable from our perspective. Measures to improve survival of 

 depressed Northwest salmon runs have had significant impacts on communities 

 throughout the Pacific Northwest. Long-standing fisheries have been closed or 

 dramatically reduced in recent years. Major investments have been made to improve 

 survival of stocks originating in the Snake River and upper Columbia, additional 

 measures will be necessary to achieve our goal of healthy and sustained fisheries. 



The price for not solving the equity issue is Canada's continued recalcitrance at taking 

 part in the conservation of southern chinook and coho stocks. We urge you to actively 

 support efforts to improve the treaty process. 



Our basic objective remains improved chinook and coho management regimes. 

 Improvements are necessary in both mixed-stock and single-stock fisheries. We believe 

 that the foundation and framework for those approaches has been established. What is 

 needed is the full commitment of the U.S. and Canadian negotiators to further develop 

 and implement these efforts. An effective approach to the equity issue should enable 

 Canada to fully participate in those efforts. 



In the short-term, we are seeking significant reductions in Canadian harvest of U.S. 

 stocks, particularly off of the west coast of Vancouver Island. We realize that Canada 

 will expect measures to address their own concerns as part of an overall agreement. We 

 are prepared to consider the full range of compensating measures envisioned when the 

 treaty was signed, including adjustments in U.S. fisheries, increased enhancement and 

 more flexible sharing arrangements when abundance is high. In communications with 

 Vice President Gore during the recent government-to-government talks. Governor Lowry 

 has clearly stated our willingness to contribute to solutions (attached letter). 



In addition to more effective federal leadership and presence in the government-to- 

 Robert Turner 



