Increases, not cuts, in White House budget for salmon restoration Saving both fish and Snake River dams was Bush campaign promise

Dan Hansen - Staff writer

Even as the White House pushes for cuts in some other programs, it's proposing a boost in salmon restoration money.

Federal agencies say the increase, which is part of President Bush's proposed federal budget, shows his commitment to restoring wild salmon without breaching Snake River dams. Saving both was a Bush campaign promise; he wants to invest $506 million toward that cause next year, compared with $438 million this year.

"There will be significantly more money for salmon restoration in the Columbia River, for research and monitoring in the Columbia Basin, for habitat improvement, including in the (Columbia) estuary, and for restoring stream flows," said Bob Lohn, regional head of the National Marine Fisheries Service.

But even with the increase, the money earmarked for nine federal agencies falls far short of what they predicted they would need two years ago.

In a 2000 memo obtained by environmental groups, the agencies told Clinton administration officials that doing everything needed to save salmon would cost $918 million in 2003.

Based on that estimate, the administration's commitment to salmon is "half-baked at best," said Jeff Curtis of Trout Unlimited.

Trout Unlimited and other groups have warned for years that trying to save salmon without breaching the four Washington dams would be cost-prohibitive.

They're warning now that short-changing projects could leave the government no choice but to eventually breach -- removing earthen portions of the four dams to let the river run free. That's because the federal salmon restoration plan requires the government to consider breaching if it doesn't meet certain recovery goals in 2003, 2005 and 2008.

Lohn said the old cost estimates for next year, made before Bush took office and appointed him to NMFS, were "ballpark figures, a working estimate, ... far from precise."

In December, Lohn said, White House officials asked agencies how much they needed for 2003 salmon work. The proposed budget reflects their answers, he said.

"None of us left with the sense that the sky was the limit," he said. "But we certainly had a sense of strong support."

Bush unveiled his 2003 budget on Bush unveiled his 2003 budget on Monday. It is subject to congressional changes.

He proposes a big increase in military spending and cuts to such things as highways, the Labor Department, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Department of Interior. Washington Democrats have said the budget would be hard on area museums, crisis nurseries, schools and the like.

Spending for endangered Columbia and Snake river salmon would increase 15.5 percent. But that's 45 percent shy of the need projected in the old memo.

The 2002 budget, which was approved by Congress, also is short of the agencies' projected need -- $437.5 million compared to an estimated $858 million.

Likewise, the salmon budget fell short in 2001, when Bill Clinton was president.

In 2003, only the Environmental Protection Agency would get more under Bush's proposal than the 2000 memo suggested -- $15 million compared to $12 million.

The memo indicated the Bonneville Power Administration should plan on spending about $475 million of Northwest ratepayers' money on salmon in 2003. The president's budget assumes BPA will spend $253 million.

Here are the differences between the memo's estimates and the Bush proposal for other agencies:

• The Department of Agriculture predicted a need to spend $141 million on salmon in 2003. Bush offers $13 million.

• The Department of Interior estimated its 2003 needs at nearly $90 million. Bush would give it $27 million -- $4 million more than this year, even though the department's overall budget would shrink.

• NMFS predicted a need of $70 million for 2003. Bush proposes $37 million.

• The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers thought it would need $150 million. Bush offers $128 million, 18 percent more than this year, despite a falling corps' budget.

Much of the corps' money would go toward dam improvements to help young salmon migrate to the ocean. Environmentalists and tribes with treaty fishing rights contend some of that is a waste.

"We are opposed to the gold-plating of the lower Snake River dams ... that may be breached," said Chuck Hudson, spokesman for the Columbia River Intertribal Fish Commission.

NMFS in July 2000 released a "biological opinion" that serves as the blueprint for salmon recovery. It concluded there was no need to take out the four Washington dams to save salmon.

But, Clinton administration officials warned, avoiding breaching would take huge amounts of federal money and sacrifices from Northwesterners in the form of water conservation and other steps.

Environmentalists and the tribes argued that the region couldn't have those four dams and wild Snake River salmon too. But Bush, who was campaigning for president at the time, said he was committed to saving both.

•Dan Hansen can be reached at (509) 459-3938 or by e-mail at danh@spokesman.com.

-- Anonymous, February 07, 2002

Answers

How do they do it out west? With fish ladders? That's the standard method here in New England. Still, an exhausting trip for the few who make it.

I have been trying to eat more heathily this past year, especially essential fatty acids. Wild salmon are a good source. Farm salmon are not because of what they are fed.

-- Anonymous, February 07, 2002

Brooks, could you elaborate. I have been eating a lot of fish, but I think most of it probably comes from fish farms. (The trout I buy have to come from fish farms, to be legal.)

-- Anonymous, February 07, 2002

What the farm-raised fish are fed is probably perfectly wholesome, but doesn't provide the essential fatty acid or EFA precursors. IIRC, it's meal or something and doesn't include any plant matter. Same problem with livestock these days. It's why it is so difficult these days to eat the same diet that grandpa did. I don't avoid farm- raised fish, but it isn't providing me with as many benefits as I would have hoped.

-- Anonymous, February 07, 2002

The dams here have fish ladders. The Salmon used to run all the way thru Spokane into Idaho. I can't remember which dam was built without the ladders but it stopped the run.

-- Anonymous, February 08, 2002