[env-trinity] News Articles on Salmon Disaster Aid Efforts

Fri Jun 30 11:02:46 PDT 2006

Editorial: Trolling for assistance; Salmon fishermen deserve some help

Sacramento Bee - 6/30/06

By now, it's clear that thousands of salmon fishermen and owners of related
businesses face economic ruin this year in California and Oregon. 

To protect runs of fish in the Klamath River, commercial fishermen are
limited to taking 75 salmon per week from the ocean in a shortened season.
It's not enough to pay for fuel, even with salmon prices topping $20 per
pound in some markets. 

Fishing advocates are seeking $81 million in disaster aid from the Bush
administration for affected communities. The Commerce Department is balking,
saying it can't release such aid until the reduced season ends and the
economic impact is calculated. 

Rebuffed, the House passed an amendment Wednesday that specifies $2 million
for salmon relief. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced yesterday he would
seek $35 million in state funds to help the industry. 

It's hard to know why the Bush administration is balking. Some have
suggested the White House doesn't want to appear to be accepting
responsibility for a Klamath fish kill three years ago that led to the
current salmon collapse. All we know is the White House moved quickly to
help fishing communities on the Gulf Coast devastated by Hurricane Katrina.
It should do the same for suffering salmon ports on the West Coast. 

At the same time, environmentalists and fishing advocates need to stop
blaming the Bush administration for all the woes of the Klamath River. As
the National Academy of Sciences pointed out a few years ago, Klamath salmon
are dying a death of many, many cuts -- including logging, erosion and
hydroelectric dams. Water diversions from the federal irrigation project in
Oregon are part of the problem, but not the only one. 

Disaster aid, of course, is just a Band-Aid for fishermen. What they really
want is a Klamath River that supports healthy stocks of salmon. As they
fight over aid payments for fishermen, California, Oregon and the White
House need to keep their focus on the bigger challenge ahead. #

http://www.sacbee.com/content/opinion/story/14273407p-15083508c.html

State aid proposed for salmon fishermen; After federal snub, governor backs
$35 million package

San Francisco Chronicle - 6/30/06

By Lynda Gledhill, staff writer

(06-30) 04:00 PDT Sacramento -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced a $35
million state aid package for salmon fishermen on Thursday, while blasting
the federal government for not helping the beleaguered West Coast fishing
industry. 

Schwarzenegger and two state senators said they will push for urgency
legislation authorizing aid for commercial fishermen and other businesses
affected by the near-closure of the commercial salmon fishing season by
federal officials. 

"The federal government's decision to severely limit salmon fishing along
the West Coast has had a terrible effect -- it's had a devastating impact on
the fishermen, the community and their families," Schwarzenegger said. "It
will literally wipe them out if they don't get help." 

Representatives from California and Oregon have been pleading with the
federal government to declare a federal disaster and help the coastal
fishing industry. 

"What is really outrageous is that the federal government made this decision
and recognizes the devastating impact but will not issue a disaster
declaration until next spring," Schwarzenegger said. 

The aid package will include $5 million in cash assistance, $20 million in
no-interest loans and up to $10 million in small-business loans.
Schwarzenegger also extended the state's declared disaster area to other
three counties, including San Luis Obispo. 

Congressional representatives from California and Oregon slowed work in the
House of Representatives on Wednesday until Republican leaders agreed to $2
million in economic relief -- far short of the $81 million that had been
sought. 

Zeke Grader, executive director of the Pacific Coast Federation of
Fishermen's Associations, said the state aid will be "extremely helpful." 

"This gives a clear message to the federal government that this is a serious
problem, and it should embarrass the federal government into doing what it
should have done a year ago," he said. 

Schwarzenegger has made several requests of the Bush administration that
have not been fulfilled, including a call for a federal disaster declaration
for the state's aging levee system and demands that the federal government
reimburse the state for the cost of incarcerating illegal immigrants. 

"This is almost like a tale of two Republicans -- one competent and one
incompetent," Grader said. 

Because of low numbers of chinook salmon from the Klamath River, the Pacific
Fishery Management Council, a federal agency, called for strict reductions
in the commercial catch this year. 

Fishermen's groups argue that the poor condition of Klamath salmon is the
result of years of federal water mismanagement, including diverting the flow
of water from the river to farmers. In 2002, more than 33,000 salmon died
because of low water, high temperatures and disease. Large die-offs of young
salmon have followed in recent years. 

Grader and other fishermen said the next step is for the state to take the
lead in fixing the Klamath River once and for all. 

"Now we need to see restoration activity on the Klamath so we don't have to
see this aid be necessary again," said Duncan MacLean, a commercial
fisherman and the California salmon troll adviser to the fishery management
council. 

State Sens. Wes Chesbro, D-Arcata (Humboldt County), and Sam Aanestad,
R-Grass Valley (Nevada County), will co-sponsor the emergency legislation
authorizing the funds. But because lawmakers adjourned Thursday a week early
for their summer vacation, the measure will be considered in August. 

"We have a comprehensive bipartisan plan to protect the lives of people on
the coast," Chesbro said. "The administration in Washington single-handedly
created this disaster, but now it's up to the state to help its people." 

Aanestad was also critical of the federal government. 

"This is just another case where the federal government is causing a problem
and not solving the problem," he said. "Once again, the state has to bail
out what should be a federal responsibility."  #

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/06/30/BAG15JMUU01.DTL

State looks to aid salmon industry

Sacramento Bee - 6/30/06

By Judy Lin, staff writer

California lawmakers went couch-diving Thursday, digging up $45 million in
proposed emergency grants and loans to keep salmon fishermen and related
businesses from going broke this summer in the face of a steep federal
fishing cap. 

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger initiated a bipartisan effort Thursday to help
the state's $100 million fishing industry weather severe restrictions
imposed by federal regulators due to concerns over shrinking stocks of
salmon on the Klamath River. 

However, with the Legislature out for the next five weeks, it's not clear
how soon the proposals may pass. 

"The federal government's decision to severely limit salmon fishing along
the West Coast has had a devastating impact on California fishermen -- not
only on them but their families and the communities they support,"
Schwarzenegger said. "It would literally wipe them out if they don't get
help." 

As part of the effort, Sens. Wes Chesbro, D-Arcata, and Sam Aanestad,
R-Grass Valley, introduced emergency legislation under Senate Bill 1127 to
create a $5 million emergency grant program for commercial fishing
businesses and passenger vessel operators. 

The bill also proposes a $20 million interest-free revolving loan program. 

Another $20 million is being made available through a small business
expansion fund, whereby the state guarantees loans on behalf of qualified
applicants, administration officials said. That fund will be expanded to
include bait and tackle shops. 

State lawmakers expressed outrage at the federal government for imposing
salmon fishing restrictions without providing adequate relief to the
fishermen whose livelihoods depend on them. 

"They put padlocks on people's doors and once again, it's the state that's
got to bail them out," said Aanestad. 

While the two senators said they want to get the bill passed as soon as
possible, both houses adjourned for summer recess Thursday.

On Wednesday, Congress agreed to $2 million in disaster assistance for
commercial fishermen after intense lobbying from West Coast Democrats. 

State officials said that wasn't enough. 

They pledged to continue lobbying the federal government for more support.
Schwarzenegger noted that it won't do any good if the aid doesn't arrive
until next spring. 

As part of Thursday's announcement, the governor expanded the list of
counties eligible for emergency assistance to include San Luis Obispo, Santa
Barbara and Trinity. 

On June 6, he proclaimed a state of emergency in 10 California counties
including Monterey, Santa Cruz, San Mateo, San Francisco, Marin, Sonoma,
Mendocino, Humboldt, Del Norte and Siskiyou counties. #

http://www.sacbee.com/content/politics/story/14273448p-15083523c.html

Congressional reps force fishery review; U.S. commerce secretary agrees to
look at salmon issues

Eureka Times-Standard - 6/30/06

WASHINGTON -- North Coast Rep. Mike Thompson and Oregon Rep. Peter DeFazio
on Thursday forced a meeting with Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez to
press him to declare the West Coast salmon season a disaster. 

The secretary said that he would review the situation. 

Frustrated with the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration's
claim that the agency could not declare a disaster until at least February,
Thompson and DeFazio, among others, waited for the secretary outside the
House Energy and Commerce Committee where he was due to testify. Committee
Chairman Joe Barton agreed to allow the members to meet with the secretary
prior to his testimony. 

During the meeting, Gutierrez agreed to review, in short order, the
situation and what the department's options are. 

"We've been asking the secretary to meet with us for months. Today we
decided to seek him out ourselves," said Thompson, D-St. Helena.

 "NOAA staff has signaled that they won't act to declare a disaster until
February of 2007 -- this is an unacceptable and immoral timeframe. 

Fishers and coastal communities up and down our districts are struggling to
get by day to day. Today we appealed to the secretary to take action." 

In other business, the amendment attached by Thompson to the Science, State,
Justice and Commerce Appropriations Bill passed Thursday. 

It will transfer $2 million in funding from the Department of Commerce's
administrative budget to NOAA Fisheries. Thompson hopes that allocation will
serve as a placeholder for additional disaster assistance funding. 

On the state end, the Assembly overwhelmingly approved a resolution by
Assemblywoman Patty Berg, D-Eureka, calling on federal lawmakers to provide
relief to the men and women whose livelihoods have been threatened by the
shortage of salmon on the Klamath River. #

http://www.times-standard.com/local/ci_3998311

KLAMATH RIVER:

'Granddaddy of fish projects'; Coastal conservancy sees big role in possible
Klamath dam effort 

Eureka Times-Standards - 6/30/06

By John Dricsoll, staff writer

ARCATA -- Members of the California Coastal Conservancy envision the agency
playing a key role in decommissioning and removing dams on the Klamath
River, an effort whose time they said has come. 

"This is the granddaddy of all fisheries restoration projects," said
conservancy Chairman Doug Bosco at a meeting here. 

Bosco also voiced hope that dam owner PacifiCorp -- now owned by billionaire
Warren Buffett's MidAmerican Energy Holdings -- would agree to an
arrangement that would make whole its customers and others that see some
benefit from the four dams in question. Bosco said that if Buffet can give
85 percent of his estate to charity, as he's recently done, the renowned
investor should be willing to play a part in restoring the river's
struggling salmon runs. 

The conservancy also heard an update on studies now under way to study
sediment trapped behind Iron Gate and Copco I dams. 

Conservancy project manager Michael Bowen passed around a container of muck
from Iron Gate Reservoir, material that's being tested for toxins like
mercury and cyanide to determine if it's safe to remove the dams. 

"I can't vouch for its contents," Bowen said about the fine, gooey mud. "I
hope it's clean." 

There may be as much as 4.8 million cubic yards of sediment trapped behind
Iron Gate Dam, and more than 10.3 million cubic yards behind Copco I, the
first dam built on the river in 1917. Bowen said there does not seem to have
been much historic mining activity in the vicinity of the dams, which could
mean that lab tests only find contaminants from upstream agricultural
practices. 

The dams block salmon at Iron Gate Dam -- 109 miles up the river -- from
reaching some 300 miles of spawning grounds. Today, many of those areas
would need to be restored to be of value to salmon, but experts estimate
that under restored conditions, fish populations could average 149,000 to
438,000. This year, fewer than 30,000 salmon are expected to run upstream, a
number too low to allow commercial fishing along 700 miles of the West Coast
this year, and which limits tribal and sport fishing. 

The PacifiCorp project produces only about 150 megawatts of electricity, and
as part of applying for a new 50-year license, may have to provide passage
above the dams for salmon. That may cost up to $200 million under demands by
the U.S. Interior Department. The company is appealing those demands,
proposing instead to trap fish and truck them over the dams. 

Settlement negotiations are also ongoing, parallel to the relicensing
project. 

Conservancy Executive Officer Sam Schuchat said he doesn't believe the dams
themselves have a high value, though their removal could be expensive.
Estimates have reached about $150 million for such a project.  #

http://www.times-standard.com/local/ci_3998300

Byron Leydecker

Chair, Friends of Trinity River

Advisor, California Trout, Inc

PO Box 2327

Mill Valley, CA 94942-2327

415 383 4810 ph

415 383 9562 fx

bwl3 at comcast.net

bleydecker at stanfordalumni.org

http://www.fotr.org

http:www.caltrout.org 

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