We're Talking Salmon

It's been over 10 years since the federal government declared several "runs" of salmon here in the Pacific Northwest threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent in all sorts of salmon habitat restoration projects all over the Puget Sound region as well along the mainstem and tributaries of the Columbia River, both major salmon spawning areas. Hundreds of hours of conferences and seminars have been held. And literally whole stands of timber have been used to create the paper filed in litigation after litigation on salmon issues, much less the voluminous (and sometimes disingenuous) habitat conservation plans.

And yet, the Pacific Northwest, like much of the country, ravenously ate up land during the real estate boom, new developments with amenities like golf courses and even vineyards sprung up in desert lands, fed by water from the Columbia and other rivers. Miles and miles of pavement were laid to feed cul d' sacs and growing commuter populations. And no matter how well engineered to prevent massive run-offs, millions of gallons of storm water contaminated with God-knows-what, entered every watershed. The salmon continue to suffer.

Now, the Obama Administration, with great fanfare, announced it's salmon recovery plans. Which are much like the Bush Administration. No dams on the Snake River will be removed or decommissioned. And the requirements for habitat protections continue to be lame at best.

As wild salmon populations continue to decline, this once abundant anadromous fish is slowly becoming a prisoner of politics. All the money spent by hydro utilities, timber companies, municipalities, and state governments on habitat restoration is not going to fix the causes of salmon declines nor enhance their restoration. At some point, then, rather than continuing the charade that we are trying to prevent the extinction of salmon in the Pacific Northwest, perhaps we really need to begin the conversation about what extinction really means.

Anyone seen a Passenger pigeon recently?

There is Good News!

In a small stream on the east slope of the La Sal Mountains in Utah (near Moab), fisheries biologists and wildlife managers have found a small population of Greenback Cutthroat Trout.  Long considered extinct in Utah and parts of Colorado, this is certainly good news.

Nature is truly amazing.  While there still are disputes over the existence of the Ivory Billed Woodpecker in the southern United States (another long considered extinct charismatic megafauna), the idea of a breeding pair living in the swamps of Arkansas is almost magical.  Nature truly is resilient.

These days, this kind of news is wonderful.  To think there are fish enjoying a cool mountain stream high in the La Sals simply refreshes the soul.