sands. If we were to go back to that same spot this summer we 

 may not see any salmon at all. 



The fact is that the Pacific Northwest is losing forever the salm- 

 on and steelhead populations. Races of fish varieties, in scientific 

 terms, are being lost forever. Four populations of salmonids are al- 

 ready listed under the Endangered Species Act; 214 populations 

 are considered at risk of extinction and may soon be listed. Steps 

 must be taken now to prevent the wholesale loss of this priceless 

 fishery. Not only are our anadromous fish valuable as part of the 

 Nation's biological diversity and gene pool, but these salmon are a 

 big contributor to the economy of the region. 



In the Pacific Northwest, the salmon fishery generates $1 billion 

 in annual income and 60,000 jobs. This is a renewable resource 

 every year and is better than money in the bank. 



What is causing this tragedy? Some blame the dams and water 

 projects in the Columbia River system, which certainly are a sig- 

 nificant factor. However, many of the salmon and steelhead runs 

 identified by scientists as at risk are found in river systems outside 

 of the Columbia Basin, river systems which have no dams at all. 

 Other factors besides water projects are apparently contributing to 

 the decline. 



This hearing will focus on just such other factors, pointedly the 

 destruction and modification of salmon habitat. Without high qual- 

 ity fish spawning and rearing habitat, the remaining populations 

 01 salmon and steelhead are simply doomed to extinction. The last 

 high quality, undergraded habitat remaining in the Pacific North- 

 west is on lands managed by the Forest Service and the Bureau 

 of Land Management. These two agencies have the potential to 

 play a major role in saving salmon and steelhead for future genera- 

 tions of Americans. 



Unfortunately, the Forest Service and BLM have not lived up to 

 such a role. In fact, their past and current policies and programs 

 are contributing on a documented basis to the destruction of habi- 

 tat for salmonid populations. Logging, road building, and livestock 

 grazing in watersheds critical to the survival of salmon and 

 steelhead are causing erosion and sedimentation to degrade spawn- 

 ing and rearing habitat. Not only must these practices be arrested 

 £ind/or stopped, but the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land 

 Management must launch new programs to stabilize and restore 

 the watersheds under their stewardship. As their timber program 

 in the Pacific Northwest declines, these two agencies could refocus 

 and give new emphasis to recreation, wilderness, wildlife and fish. 

 For every timber job impacted, both within the agencies and in the 

 private sector, the Forest Service and BLM could employ workers 

 to rehabilitate, restore, and enhance in an environmentally positive 

 way our national forests and public domain lands. Studies, in fact, 

 show that 11,000 people annually could be put to work just on sta- 

 bilizing watersheds key to the survival of salmon and steelhead, 

 supporting the 60,000 jobs and $1 billion fishery base of the Pacific 

 Northwest. 



I look forward to hearing from our witnesses on how the Forest 

 Service and BLM can protect watersheds and fish. 



As their timber programs in the Pacific Northwest decline, these 

 two agencies could refocus and give new emphasis to recreation 



