proceeding, therefore its eventual cost is unknown. If the court determines a reason- 

 able land price, then adequate funds should remain for 10 to 15 years of hatchery oper- 

 ation. Although the Corps supports the concept that additional funds should be provid- 

 ed for operating and maintaining the hatchery for the life of the Libby Dam project, 

 it maintains that it is Montana's responsibility to seek the additional funding from 

 Congress. 



The Fisher River, which would be "cut off" between the main dam and the reregu- 

 lating dam, should the latter be built, has traditionally been one of the most im- 

 portant tributaries of the Kootenai River. A vital spawning run for cutthroat trout, 

 dolly varden, and whitefish will be lost. And with fluctuations of up to 30 feet 

 during peaking operations at the main dam, the proposed reregulating reservoir will 

 scarcely support viable populations of aquatic organisms. Another 10 miles of excel- 

 lent river fishing will therefore be lost. And, if the Corps' position on mitigations 

 is upheld, mitigation for losses already incurred and already deemed inadequate by the 

 state must suffice for the proposed project as well. 



Wildlife 



Lake Koocanusa inundated approximately 24,000 acres of prime bottomlands wild- 

 life habitat. Much of it was critical winter range for big game species such as 

 deer, elk, moose, and bighorn sheep; however, it was equally critical for numerous 

 other game and non-game animals. The relocation of roads and railroads also produced 

 adverse impacts on existing wildlife populations and their habitats. 



The Omnibus Bill of 1974, which authorized $4 million for fisheries mitigation 

 measures, also authorized the purchase of up to 12,000 acres of land at a cost not to 

 exceed $2 million. Even if land had been purchased as early as 1974, it would have 

 been difficult to purchase 6,000 acres of land with $2 million. Today, the Corps 

 is negotiating the purchase of little more than 3,000 acres and has thus far actually 

 purchased a total of 1,375 acres north of Eureka at a cost of $811,000. 



As in the case of funding mitigative measures for fishery losses, the Corps 

 maintains that once the $2 million has been spent on land acquisitions, it is not 

 authorized to seek additional lands or funds. 



Although the Corps has assisted the Department of Fish and Game and the U.S. 

 Forest Service in determining ways to improve the carrying capacity of lands for 

 certain wildlife species, considerably more than 12,000 acres would be required to 

 actually mitigate the 24,000 acres inundated by Lake Koocanusa alone. It must be 

 recognized that wildlife already inhabit those lands being purchased. New wildlife 

 habitat is not being created by such purchases. To fully mitigate the 24,000 acres 

 inundated, 24,000 acres of new, comparable habitat would be necessary. However, a 

 funding limit of $2 million remains in effect, and it is apparent that little more 

 than 3,000 acres can be purchased for that amount. 



The purchase of 3,000 acres will not properly mitigate the loss of 24,000 acres 

 of prime wildlife habitat to Lake Koocanusa. To presume that the purchase of the 

 same 3,000 acres will properly mitigate all anticipated losses, including an addi- 

 tional 10 miles of bottomlands habitat, should the reregulating facility be built, 

 is unreasonable. 



The total cost of Libby Dam, as it stands, was approximately $485 million. The 

 estimated cost of adding four generating units and reregulating dam will be approxi- 

 mately $225 million more. The $6 million authorized for mitigating fish and wildlife 

 losses--both incurred and anticipated--represents less than one percent of the total 

 estimated cost of the project. 



10 



