65 



STATEMENT OF HON. CONRAD BURNS 



Senator BURNS. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. I want to 

 thank you for holding this hearing. 



I think we are most fortunate at this juncture of dealing with 

 this problem of having you as chairman, because you bring to the 

 table much institutional knowledge, you were here from the very 

 start of even the formation of the ESA, and your knowledge of the 

 Columbia River, and, of course, the upper reaches of that Columbia 

 River. 



And why I am very interested in this, because much of the water 

 that comes down the Columbia River starts in the State of Mon- 

 tana, especially, it feeds the river called the Snake. 



We are very, very mindful of Bonneville and its power, because 

 we have industries in western Montana that are solely dependent 

 on the electricity rate from this power source. 



And I ask that my formal statement can be put in the record. I 

 want to just sum up here the problem that we see coming from the 

 State of Montana. 



The fires of 1988 and 1994 dealt us another problem inasmuch 

 as we cannot hold our snow pack as long into the summer as we 

 once could. Last year. Hungry Horse was just a puddle. Then came 

 the request that they wanted 1 foot of water off of the Flathead 

 Lake. 



Now, some folks couch that in a request as saying it had to do 

 with the erosion on the north end of Flathead Lake, and I know 

 different, because the water was needed to flush downstream. 



We have a real problem, as that water is just as important held 

 in the State of Montana as it is if it goes on downstream, and espe- 

 cially when used in the recovery of an endangered species that you 

 can buy in any can in any grocery store in America. 



That is not to say that we are not concerned about the reestab- 

 lishment of the salmon in the Columbia River. We are very con- 

 cerned about that. 



But we also have another species that may be in conflict with 

 that, and it is called the Montana bull trout, which right now is 

 susceptible for listing. And that deals us more trouble in the State 

 of Montana. 



PREPARED STATEMENT 



So with that, I am anxious to hear from Mr. Hardy, the time, the 

 hour is here, but that is our concern. But we are also mindful, and 

 want to cooperate, and want to be part of the solution to this prob- 

 lem that we have on the Columbia River, because it is vital to the 

 State of Montana, also. 



Mr. Chairman, we thank you very much. 



Senator HATFIELD. Thank you. Senator Burns. 



[The statement follows:] 



Prepared Statement of Senator Conrad Burns 



Thank you Mr. Chairman for caUing this very important hearing on the recovery 

 efforts of the salmon in the Snake and Columbia Rivers. Although neither of these 

 rivers flow through my state, this is an extremely important issue to the land and 

 people of Montana. For much of the water which is being proposed to aid in the 

 recovery of the salmon, comes from the streams and lakes in Montana. 



