112 



coming in, then this program will fail and the moneys will not be 

 properly directed. 



The Klamath National Forest got a national award last year for 

 taking a proactive approach for keeping spring Chinook from being 

 listed as extinct in the river. They spent $325,000 last year on a 

 watershed approach to the Salmon River, similar to the approach 

 that is being recommended here. They asked for $1.2 million this 

 year and got $100,000. You've got to have the continuity. 



Now, they are looking at possibly losing key staff because they 

 don't have the continuity in budget. I understand that most of the 

 money that is available to aquatic resources went to the consulta- 

 tion-type stuff. We have to get out of that box. We have to take a 

 proactive approach. And I believe it is necessary that we take a leg- 

 islative approach to this. 



I have an example at BLM. BLM has holdings within the 

 Mattole River watershed where there are stocks of chinook and 

 coho salmon and BLM has inventoried the lands and found them 

 to be in need of restoration, but yet has no funding. They also lost 

 a key employee in that area because they leaned on him too hard 

 for a land sale. 



The Forest Service and BLM will now be competing for staff that 

 is in really short supply, so they have to nurture that staff. And 

 the biggest way to do that is a long-term commitment. I would rec- 

 ommend "no year money". If you give them targets, they will meet 

 them artificially. I think PAC-fish is good. It is a founding docu- 

 ment. It tells the ranger that there are people looking at the pro- 

 grams other than the people that they are meeting for lunch. 



But we need — we have new supervisors in our force locally. But 

 there is resistance at the staff level to the changes because of bu- 

 reaucratic inertia. And I think it needs congressional direction. If 

 your Republican colleagues were here, they would ask: AVhere is 

 the money going to come from? I would suggest that this is infra- 

 structure. 



Mr. Vento. The Democrats ask these questions, too. It is a 

 changing role these days. 



Mr. HiGGlNS. I took a shot at them. I shouldn't do that. 



Mr. Vento. They may be perfectly willing to spend on every pro- 

 gram like this. If you could wind up, because I want to get to Mr. 

 Palmisano. 



Mr. HiGGlNS. I am. We need to preserve our soil capital to main- 

 tain productivity, and these fish are a resource. I am working on 

 the South Fork of the Trinity; and in the plan that we are putting 

 together there it suggests that fishery restoration can be a key part 

 for revitalization in the rural communities. 



[Prepared statement of Mr. Higgins follows:] 



