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fall Chinook returned to the Snake River. Last year, 800 fall chinook returned to 

 the Snake River. 



In about two weeks, juvenile salmon will begin their seaward migration. From the 

 Snake River, our scientists estimate that approximately 7.5 million juvenile spring 

 chinook salmon will migrate downstream in 1995. These are the juvenile salmon 

 produced from 1993's adult returns. Because the adult returns were so poor last 

 year, the numbers of juvenile spring chinook salmon that will migrate downstream 

 in 1996 is expected to be only 1.5 million. In 1997, the juvenile numbers are likely 

 to be worse. It is paramount to the salmon's survival and to the Indian people that 

 we protect the juvenile salmon to the fullest extent possible on their way to the 

 ocean this year. 



The tribes have restoration plans for the Snake River tributaries, but our efforts 

 will be for naught if the salmon perish in the federal hydroelectric system. Our trib- 

 al governments have heard the many messages that we cannot fix the problems and 

 save the salmon. I disagree with these messages. 



Senator Hatfield, you know the track record of the Umatilla tribe on salmon re- 

 covery. With your leadership and support, we successfully put water and salmon 

 back in the Umatilla River. This is a river where the salmon had been gone for 70 

 years, where streamflows dried up for six months every year, and where the conflict 

 was as contentious as any in the Northwest. The federal investment in Umatilla 

 salmon restoration is paying dividends to both Indian and non-Indian people. Spring 

 chinook, fall chinook, coho, and steelhead now return annually. 



Unfortunately, the measures necessary to protect the salmon are jeopardized by 

 the mistakes oi the past. The Columbia River hydropower system was not designed 

 and built with juvenile salmon migrations in mind. Thus, remedial measures are 

 costly and these costs are only beginning to be fully appreciated. Yet, these salmon 

 costs pale in comparison to the debt that BPA is saddled with due to failed nuclear 



Elants. By the time Congress enacted the Northwest Power Act in 1980, the region 

 ad already embarked on the disastrously expensive WPPSS nuclear projects. Now 

 BPA is burdened by a $7.1 billion dollar WPPSS debt, which is growing every day. 

 And what did BPA get in return, one nuclear plant that is too expensive to operate 

 (37 mils) and too costly to shut down (14 mils). 



When considering BPA's financial condition and its ability to pay for salmon miti- 

 gation, please bear in mind that the Columbia River treaty tribes did not ask for 

 WPPSS; the Northwest utilities asked for WPPSS and were the intended bene- 

 ficiaries of WPPSS. For decades, BPA's customers have enjoyed the cheapest power 

 in the nation at the expense of the salmon. "Too cheap to meter" was the rallying 

 cry for the WPPSS boosters. BPA's customers now want to abandon BPA, the 

 WPPSS debt BPA incurred on their behalf, and the financial obligations to restore 

 the Columbia River salmon. At the same time, all of BPA's major customer classes 

 continue to enjoy huge subsidies that keep BPA at risk of failing to meet its treas- 

 ury payments. The annual subsidy to the Direct Service Industries, primarily alu- 

 minum selters, is estimated at $170 million. Since the administration interceded 

 and Russia decreased aluminum production, revenues to aluminum companies have 

 recently increased 400 percent. The annual subsidy to the Investor Owned Utilities 

 through residential exchange is estimated to be $210 million and BPA is prevented 

 from competing on the open market through restrictions in favor of Northwest pref- 

 erence. BPA's lost revenues due to water withdrawals for irrigation are approxi- 

 mately $300 million annually. All of these economic issues should be put on the 

 table for an independent review. 



Recently, various interests have proposed auctioning BPA's assets to the highest 

 bidder to pay off BPA's existing debt. "These are reckless proposals that do not take 

 into account the federal government's obligations to restore salmon to the Indian 

 people of the Columbia River. The tribes often disagree with BPA's management, 

 particularly on fish and wildlife issues. But the solution is to reform BPA, not sell 

 off BPA. And, the solution must, consistent with the United States' solemn promises 

 to the tribes, provide sufficient fiscal resources to fully protect and restore the salm- 

 on. 



Less than two weeks ago, S. 481 was introduced. That bill would cap the fish and 

 wildlife costs BPA may incur during any fiscal year to not more than 20 percent 

 of the gross annual power revenues, exclusive of residential exchange revenues. The 

 bill would also prevent BPA from recovering fish and wildlife costs through trans- 

 mission charges. In effect, the bill puts BPA's WPPSS debt ahead of its fish and 

 wildlife obligations. These priorities are not consistent with the spirit in which the 

 tribes entered their treaties with the federal government. The treaties were not 

 made subject to WPPSS debts and wholesale power subsidies. 



The Columbia River treaty tribes were optimistic in 1980, when Congress passed 

 the Northwest Power Act, that a means for restoring Columbia River salmon was 



