WASHINGTON — California and Oregon lawmakers on Thursday cornered Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez to ensure a meeting about why the Bush administration has refused to declare a salmon fishing disaster on the West Coast.

At least seven lawmakers from the two states waited for Gutierrez as he went to testify before the House Energy and Commerce Committee on an unrelated matter. Then they met briefly with him behind closed doors.

Richard Mills, a spokesman for Gutierrez, said that while the way the meeting came about was unusual, "the bottom line is we're fully aware of the problems our fishermen are facing, and we want to find a solution that strikes the right balance as soon as possible."

While they received no guarantees, lawmakers emerged far happier than after a contentious meeting earlier in the week with officials of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which is part of the Commerce Department.

"Night and day," said Rep. Mike Thompson, D-Calif. While NOAA officials were "completely unhelpful" on Tuesday, Gutierrez at least promised to review the situation and get back to Congress with answers, Thompson said.

"We didn't get any answers, but at least we had the meeting. He's the person who can make the decision" on a disaster declaration for West Coast salmon, said Rep. Darlene Hooley, D-Ore.

She and other lawmakers said they appreciated Gutierrez's willingness to listen.

"I don't think we could have asked for anything more," Thompson said.

The meeting comes one day after the House _ at the insistence of West Coast lawmakers _ approved $2 million for salmon fishermen suffering from a sharply curtailed fishing season, caused by a dwindling return of salmon in the Klamath River.

The money is a fraction of the $81 million West Coast lawmakers want, but they hope the vote will keep the door open to add money later.

Thompson and other lawmakers said Thursday that Gutierrez promised to turn over copies of a May 19 memo from NOAA's regional office in California. The memo, which recommends that he declare the West Coast salmon season a disaster, was rejected by NOAA officials in Washington, who sent it back.

NOAA Administrator Conrad C. Lautenbacher declined to release the memo to lawmakers this week, calling it an internal matter. Hooley called Lautenbacher's refusal typical of an attitude she and Thompson called arrogant and unhelpful.

The Bush administration sharply restricted commercial fishing in April to protect the dwindling population of endangered chinook salmon in the Klamath River.

Under the new rules, NOAA officials say they expect about 40 percent of the normal catch on the West Coast this year. But salmon fishermen expect only 10 percent of the normal catch in the 700-mile stretch of Oregon and Northern California affected by the restrictions.