8 



Mr. Dicks. There are very few water projects; we have one on 

 the Elwha and one on the Skokomish River. 



Mr. Vento. That is on a resolution path, but there are very few 

 water projects per se. 



Mr. Dicks. The problem has been the effects of growth. In the 

 Puget Sound area we have lost 90 percent of our habitat because 

 of the great population growth we have had. Some of it has been 

 because of developments; some of it has been because of harvest 

 practices, road construction. And that is why I don't think it does 

 us any good to waste our time pointing the finger. 



What we should be here to do today is to try to figure out a con- 

 structive way to move ahead. And I see this as part of the solution 

 in the timber summit, in the forestry conference. This can be a way 

 to provide jobs and restore habitat and avoid future listings. We 

 have all got a stake in that. 



I looked at the list of the potential species in California. I mean, 

 if we don't get ahead of the curve on these things, we are going to 

 stop America. I mean, literally, we have got to take a kind of a 

 statewide look at habitat. We have got to do a better job of protect- 

 ing habitat so that we can avoid these listings. Believe me, I want 

 to avoid them if possible. 



And I see this approach as trying to get ahead of the curve and 

 being a credible approach. It will also help the salmon, which is 

 crucially important to the people of the Northwest. 



Mr. Vento. I think it is good to find a magic bullet. With the 

 eagle, it was DDT. But in this case we are looking at a number of 

 factors that are impacting, and some of these we control. The only 

 reason we are talking to the Forest Service and the BLM is be- 

 cause they have the lands that remain that have the most signifi- 

 cant salmon populations, the ones that you point out that we could 

 do something to put a tourniquet on to stop the hemorrhaging. 



I think the point made with regard to the mixture of lands, not 

 just the BLM that has the mosaic pattern, but in the Olympic Pe- 

 ninsula, that we need to have a program for the agencies if they 

 are going to take or build or coordinate with the States or others 

 that already have taken action for salmon restoration. 



I know that in Washington State the salmon restoration projects 

 have been participated in where elementary schools have adopted 

 streams. 



Mr. Dicks. This has been a really grassroots type of thing. 



Mr. Vento. Nothing new for the elementary students, but I 

 would hope that some of us inside the Beltway could recognize the 

 particular problem and what needs to be done. 



Mr. Dicks. Sometimes it is simple things. People will argue that 

 in the old days we used to take all the trees out of the streams. 

 Now if you listen to the experts, they say we need the downed trees 

 in the pool to stop the gravel, and that helps the entire ecology of 

 the area. 



There are some of these things that can be done without massive 

 expenditures of money that will really help restore habitat, and 

 that is what we are talking about. We have lost our habitat for fish 

 and we have problems in the ocean with drift nets and intercepts 

 in Canada, et cetera. But if we don't do some things now, I am 



