It's do or die for salmon

A U.S. district judge lays out the choices: Either the federal government produces a true recovery plan, or wild salmon could be lost

Wednesday, October 12, 2005

This is a historic moment for Northwest salmon. U.S. District Judge James Redden has given the federal government a year to produce a collaborative, good-faith plan to recover endangered wild salmon.

If the federal government takes up Redden's challenge, works closely with Northwest states and tribes, makes the hard choices and delivers the recovery plan the judge has ordered, the Northwest could save its signature fish.

But if the White House or Congress intercedes yet again, or federal agencies fudge the science, disregard Northwest states and tribes and deliver another dubious recovery plan to the judge, all hell could break loose.

Redden warned in a ruling released last Friday that another failed effort by NOAA Fisheries to produce a suitable salmon recovery plan -- this will be its fourth try in 12 years -- would expose the government to legal liability under the Endangered Species Act for injuring endangered salmon at federal dams.

That could thrust management of Columbia River dam operations and other river flow decisions where they do not belong: into the hands of Judge Redden. Another failed recovery plan also would lead the salmon debate right to the base of the four Snake River dams that conservation and fisheries groups are so eager to breach.

This page has consistently agreed with Judge Redden that dam-breaching is not necessary to recover Columbia Basin salmon if the federal government makes every other effort to protect endangered and threatened fish.

The government has spent billions of dollars on salmon recovery in the Columbia. But the status quo still dominates in the Columbia Basin. Every slight uptick in salmon numbers, no matter how temporary, is greeted by pressure to hold back more water for power production or irrigation, or to increase fishing.

No wonder salmon recovery isn't getting anywhere. All 12 species of salmon protected under the Endangered Species Act, and one species proposed for listing, are dwindling. Four of the species are in danger of extinction, and the nine remaining threatened species are likely to become endangered in the near future.

For years now the federal government has claimed that tweaking dam operations and new technology, such as spillway weirs, are enough to recover salmon. Few other sacrifices are needed. Others have argued that salmon recovery is fruitless, and we should quit spending hundreds of millions of dollars fighting their inevitable extinction.

In his loud, clear voice, Judge Redden is saying something else: Salmon recovery is possible. But it's going to be hard and costly, and it will take a far more serious and concerted effort by the federal government, states and tribes.

Federal lawyers have 60 days to appeal Redden's order. There's already noise in Congress about trying an end run around the ruling. The right response is to accept the judge's challenge, and get to work on a more clear-eyed and sincere plan to recover Northwest salmon.