GAO: Fish effort lacks supporting data

FROM THE ARCHIVE

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TUESDAY, AUGUST 27, 2002

The federal government has spent more than $3 billion over the last 20 years to recover fish in the Pacific Northwest but lacks hard data to prove the effort is working, according to a Congressional report released on Monday.

A variety of of federal agencies, states, tribes and private entities were the recipients of the money, the General Accounting Office (GAO) said. Each has taken numerous steps to restore salmon and steelhead in the Columbia River Basin.

But those in charge on the federal government side are unable to quantify success, according to the GAO. "Although these actions are generally viewed as resulting in higher numbers of returning adult salmon and steelhead, there is little conclusive evidence to quantify the extent of their effects on returning fish populations," the report stated.

Salmon and steelhead were once numerous in the basin and provided tribes in Washington, Oregon and Idaho with economic and cultural sustenance. Prior to the negotiation of treaties in the late 1800s, an estimated 16 million fish returned to spawn in the basin.

The fish's numbers dwindled dramatically after the treaties were signed, but most notably in the past 25 years. Human encroachment, non-Native fishing, degradation of habitat and changing weather conditions affected the population, Congressional investigators said.

Another key factor, the report noted, was the construction of dams along rivers in the basin. Over 250 reservoirs and about 150 hydroelectric projects, including 18 dams, have affected the ability of salmon to spawn.

The GAO, however, did not investigate the potential to breach, or remove, the dams. The Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fisheries Commission, composed of tribes with treaty rights in the basin, and environmentalists believe removal is a key step to full recovery.

The Bush administration and Pacific Northwest politicians oppose such a move, citing the impact on the power industry that depends on the dam projects. Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Ore.), who requested the GAO study, supports comprehensive funding for salmon recovery but has put off the breaching question for at least a few more years.

That view was supported during by the Clinton White House, which in late 2000 finalized a multi-agency recovery plan. If targets aren't met within the coming years, breaching will be considered but is not guaranteed.

Of the fish in the basin, 12 species are protected under the Endangered Species Act. Three are listed as endangered and the remaining are threatened.

The National Marine Fisheries Service, part of the Department of Commerce, is the lead federal agency for salmon and steelhead recovery. The Bureau of Indian Affairs participates and has spent more than $11 million since 1982, most of it prior to 1997, according to figures supplied to the GAO.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers spent about $1.3 billion since 1982, according to the report. Most of the money post-1997 was to install ladders and screens to help spawning fish bypass the dams that are in their way.

Get the Report:
Columbia River Basin Salmon and Steelhead: Federal Agencies' Recovery Responsibilities, Expenditures, and Actions (GAO-02-612 July 26)

Relevant Links:
Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fisheries Commission - http://www.critfc.org