[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 118 (Friday, July 31, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2159]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         INTRODUCTION OF THE SALMON SOLUTIONS AND PLANNING ACT

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                          HON. EARL BLUMENAUER

                               of oregon

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, July 31, 2009

  Mr. BLUMENAUER. Madam Speaker, few issues are more controversial or 
contentious than the issue of dam removal on the Snake River system. 
Some have argued because they don't like certain possibilities that 
they don't want to know about them. This whistling past the graveyard 
is both unrealistic and unwise. Things we don't like sometimes are 
options, and we should know the facts.
  That is why I am pleased to co-sponsor the Salmon Solutions and 
Planning Act with my colleagues Jim McDermott and Tom Petri. This is an 
important piece of legislation that will provide policymakers in the 
Pacific Northwest and around the country with additional information 
necessary to aide in the recovery of Columbia Basin salmon.
  The legislation requires the Army Corps of Engineers, Department of 
Transportation, Department of Commerce, and Department of Energy to 
study the environmental, infrastructure, and economic issues associated 
with removing the four Lower Snake River dams. The bill also includes 
language authorizing the Secretary of the Army to remove the dams. This 
language is intended to clarify that lower Snake River dam removal is 
within the Corps' authority. It is important to note this bill contains 
no ``trigger language'' that would mandate dam removal.
  Salmon are a significant ecological, economic and cultural resource 
for the Northwest and indeed the entire country. These fish once 
supported the world's most productive salmon watershed. Unfortunately, 
wild salmon and steelhead in the Columbia and Snake Rivers have been in 
decline for decades, with thirteen stocks now listed under the 
Endangered Species Act. Not only has this decline had negative impacts 
on the watersheds of the Pacific Northwest, it wreaks havoc on salmon-
dependent communities and local economies.
  Since coming to Congress, I have supported funding for habitat 
restoration, reforming hatchery practices, and re-examining our harvest 
practices, all measures that can contribute to salmon recovery. 
However, with salmon populations continuing to decline, it's clear that 
what we have been doing for the past 20 years has not been working. I 
have called for an approach that evaluates all science-based recovery 
options, including dam removal. This legislation represents an 
important piece of that analysis.
  Some have equated knowing the facts with actually triggering the 
process to remove the dams. My support for this legislation is not 
support for dam removal. My position over the years on this has been 
consistently to support evaluating all options for salmon recovery. The 
studies authorized by the bill will help us determine the consequences 
of dam removal not only for Northwest salmon, and but also for 
transportation, energy, and irrigation in the region.
  Like other Pacific Northwest residents, I have a deep interest in 
coming to a resolution on salmon recovery. The stress and uncertainty 
created by illegal biological opinions and the involvement of the 
judicial system not only harms fish, but also the farmers, fishermen, 
Tribes, ports, union members, and others whose livelihood depends on 
the Columbia River system.
  This legislation is an important step in having the facts about our 
options for restoring self-sustaining, fishable populations of 
Northwest salmon.

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