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TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 2002

The Bush administration on Monday proposed to temporarily eliminate habitat protections for 19 salmon and steelhead runs in order to settle a lawsuit brought by development interests and local governments.

The protections would be dropped while new habitat designations can be developed. This would take approximately two years, according to the Associated Press.

The settlement would scale back protections enacted during the Clinton administration. It affects salmon and steelhead populations in the Pacific Northwest, where tribes have treaty rights to fish.

Get the Story:
U.S. offers to rescind salmon rules (The Seattle Times 3/12)
Feds suggest removing fish habitat protections (The Oregonian 3/12)
U.S. may relax Northwest fish protections (USA Today 3/12)
'Critical habitat' rule for fish to be revised (The Seattle Post-Intelligencer 3/12)
Bush administration proposes ending endangered species protections for fish to settle suit (AP 3/11)

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

Related Stories:
Army Corps to modify dams (2/21)
Tribes rally for salmon (2/20)
McDermott: To breach or not to breach (8/2)
Nez Perce Tribe backs breaching bill (7/24)
Bill would remove dams for salmon (7/20)
Army Corps denies dams damage salmon (5/17)
Water release approved to benefit salmon (4/18)
Tribal rivers cited as endangered (4/11)
Power chosen over salmon (4/4)
Support for dam breaching drops (3/8)
Army Corps attacked on salmon (2/19)
Dam breaching put off in final plan (12/22)