Salmon industry gets emergency aid

 

SALEM  - Coastal salmon fishermen whose livelihoods are jeopardized by a shortened season got some help from the state Friday when the Legislature's Emergency Board agreed to spend as much as $3.2 million to provide employment and financial assistance.

The Emergency Board, which doles out state dollars when the Legislature is not in session, agreed to spend $2.2 million in lottery proceeds for projects that could provide temporary employment for out-of-work fishermen and their immediate families.

The projects include assisting with ocean research, habitat restoration and other efforts targeted at restoring the depleted fishery.

In April, the Bush administration decided to severely limit the ocean salmon season to protect imperiled runs of chinook salmon returning to the Klamath River in Northern California.

A May analysis prepared for the state Department of Fish and Wildlife estimated that the total potential loss to the Oregon fishing industry and communities could be $32.2 million and about 700 full-time jobs.

In addition to spending from lottery proceeds, the Emergency Board also approved a plan put forward this week by Gov. Ted Kulongoski, Senate President Peter Courtney, D-Salem, and House Speaker Karen Minnis, R-Wood Village. That plan immediately releases $500,000 from the governor's Strategic Reserve Fund and sets aside $500,000 from the Emergency Board's funds to be released in September.

The combined $1 million can be used to help qualifying fishermen pay bills associated with equipping, maintaining and operating their businesses and boats.

Repeated requests for financial help for Oregon's salmon trolling industry from the federal government have so far gone unanswered. The state help materialized after several legislators representing coastal communities lobbied for the cash.

"This is a huge issue for my district. This is our spotted owl," said Rep. Deborah Boone, D-Cannon Beach.

The Emergency Board's vote was strongly in favor of spending state money to help coastal communities. But more than one lawmaker noted that timber-dependent communities elsewhere in the state have suffered economic losses brought on by the enforcement of federal environmental laws.

"My heart goes out to the folks on the coast," said Rep. Greg Smith, R-Heppner. "I know what it means to have an industry taken out from under you."

However, Smith said, the proposals to use state dollars to help coastal fishermen is "politics over policy" and that the state is "going to be broke" if it jumps in to help every industry that suffers a significant financial downturn.

In other action, the Emergency Board:

Approved spending an additional $2.7 million to process and litigate Measure 37 claims. The initiative, which passed in 2004, requires governments to dismiss land-use rules that have harmed property value, or pay owners for the loss.

The number of new claims handled by state agencies will continue to average more than 150 a month through December, according to an analysis by the Legislative Fiscal Office.

In addition to giving agencies $2.7 million more to handle the onslaught of claims, the Emergency Board approved to increase the Department of Justice budget by $1.2 million, if it needs it to do work related to Measure 37.

Gave the Department of Agriculture permission to spend an additional $676,000 on its animal health programs, including to address potential avian flu outbreaks.

Michelle Cole: 503-294-5143; michellecole@news.oregonian.com