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TESTIMONY BEFORE THE HOUSE SUBCOMMITTEE ON 

 NATIONAL PARKS AND PUBLIC LANDS 



March 11, 1993 by Thane Tienson 



My name is Thane Tienson. I am an attorney with the law firm of 

 Copeland, Landye, Bennett and Wolf with offices in Portland, Oregon and 

 Anchorage, Alaska. I am a native of Astoria, Oregon which is located at the 

 mouth of the Columbia River. Astoria is the headquarters of the Columbia 

 River commercial salmon fishing industry. I have represented the industry for 

 almost 10 years through its trade organization, Salmon For All. 



We have a salmon crisis in the Pacific Northwest. Over 200 stocks are 

 at risk of becoming extinct and overall salmon production is estimated to be 

 less than 25 percent of historic levels. The steep decUne in the number of fish 

 available for commercial and recreational harvest jeopardizes the industry's 

 survival and devastates coastal economies. 



The Pacific Northwest is a region in transition. Historically dependent 

 upon its abundance of natural resources for its economic and spiritual well- 

 being, the region is now engaged in a titanic struggle to balance needed 

 economic diversity, population growth and development pressures with the 

 desire to preserve our natural resources for the benefit of future generations 

 and for the values we hold dear. 



Despite all of the media attention given to the Northern spotted owl and 

 to the old growth forests, for which it serves as a surrogate, it is the salmon 

 that best symbolizes our struggle to preserve our distinct cultural heritage. 

 For Northwestemers, the protection of naturally spawning salmon is a moral, 

 social, cultural and economic imperative. No other creature has had such a 

 profound impact on the history of an entire geographic region. Virtually every 

 community along the Pacific Northwest coast can trace its history and 

 economic vitality to this majestic fish. 



The economic contribution of salmon to the Northwest remains 

 substantial: Over 50,000 jobs and a billion dollars in annual economic activity 

 are thought to be at stake. But these jobs and the communities that depend 



