[4] Northwest Lawmakers Rally Behind Fish Passage Center

Eight Northwest Democratic members of Congress have called for removal of language in a spending bill that would stop funding for the Portland-based Fish Passage Center. The language was added by Idaho Senator Larry Craig (R), who said the FPC's data gathering duplicates work done by other agencies. He said most of FPC's job could be transferred to the University of Washington's Columbia Basin Research group, which already runs the DART data bank that tracks juvenile and adult fish passage.

Conspicuous by his absence of support for the FPC is Washington Democrat Norm Dicks, who serves on the House Appropriations Committee. Dicks could play a key role in the matter when the Energy and Water appropriations bill is finalized after the August recess. Dicks' office did not return calls by press time.

In a letter to the House Subcommittee on Energy and Water, the eight Northwest politicians say the $1.3 million budget for the FPC should be maintained because the center provides federal, state and tribal agencies valuable information "on what works and what does not work, to recover salmon." They said elimination of the FPC could actually increase salmon recovery costs by adding staff at other agencies "to replace the unique services provided by the center."

Critics of the FPC have long complained that some of its analyses tilt toward unproven flow/survival relationships for fish passage. They cite its skewed analysis of survival data, especially during the 2001 drought year. Newer FPC analysis was used by environmental and fishing groups in their litigation that resulted in more summer spill for the juvenile fall chinook migration.

In an op-ed column in the Idaho Statesman, Craig said "government officials like Bob Lohn, [Northwest regional administrator of NOAA Fisheries], disagree with the FPC's controversial assertions about salmon recovery."

The pro-FPC letter was signed by Washington Congressmen Adam Smith, who circulated it, Jim McDermott, Brian Baird, and Rick Larsen, along with Oregon Democrats, Earl Blumenauer, David Wu and Darlene Hooley.

The FPC also has the support of the governors of Washington and Oregon, along with a broad coalition of environmental groups.

The FPC debate has generated a fair amount of heat. One DC-based lobbyist reported that the conflict has generated the most offensive and personal lobbying she had seen in the past 30 years. -B. R.

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