HOUSE COMMITTEE ON STREAM RESTORATION

& SPECIES RECOVERY

January 29, 2001 Hearing Room E

1:00 p.m. Tapes 18 - 19

MEMBERS PRESENT: Rep. Bob Jenson, Chair

Rep. Jan Lee, Vice-Chair

Rep. Randy Leonard Vice-Chair

Rep. Tim Knopp

Rep. Jeff Kruse

Rep. Patti Smith

Rep. Al King

Rep. Carolyn Tomei

Rep. Kelley Wirth

STAFF PRESENT: Sandy Thiele-Cirka, Committee Administrator

Linda K. Gatto, Administrative Support

ISSUES HEARD:

Oregon Plan Overview:

Save the Salmon Coalition

Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs

Confederated Tribes of Umatilla Indian Reservations

Oregon Water Resources Congress

Metro Regional Services

North West Sport-fishing Industry

These minutes are in compliance with Senate and House Rules. Only text enclosed in quotation marks reports a speaker’s exact words. For complete contents, please refer to the tapes.

TAPE/#	Speaker	Comments
TAPE 18, A
004	Chair Jenson	Calls the meeting to order at 1:02 p.m. as a subcommittee. Opens informational meeting.
INFORMATIONAL MEETING – OREGON PLAN OVERVIEW
013	Valerie Johnson-Eves	Chair, Save the Salmon Coalition. Submits (EXHIBIT A) and summarizes. Notes the bias toward wild fish.
054	Johnson-Eves	Continues with testimony regarding the scientists that are not participating in salmon recovery.
100	Johnson-Eves	Continues reading testimony.
132	Johnson-Eves	Highlights the statements in (EXHIBIT B).
158	Johnson-Eves	Concludes there is no scientific evidence to support that hatchery fish are genetically different than wild fish.
173	Chair Jenson	Closes subcommittee and opens full committee.
179	Chair Jenson	Asks for a data-source on the numbers.
182	Johnson-Eves	Responds she will provide that information for committee.
185	Rep. King	Comments that all the facts are necessary for balanced view of the issue.
196	Johnson-Eves	Explains that the scientists coming before the committee on Friday will help provide a balanced view.
230	Louie Pitt, Jr.	Director of Government Affairs, Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. Gives an overhead presentation about the history of the Warm Springs tribes’ relationship with the United States and Oregon.
324	Pitt	Presents map of the land that was given to the United States though treaty rights.
400	Pitt	Talks about all the people and governments they have to work with. Describes the Treaty of March 8, 1859. Discusses Measure 7 and the potential implications.
TAPE 19, A
022	Pitt	Discusses the lack of water in the Northwest will face in the coming year.
053	Audie Huber	Intergovernmental Affairs Manager, Department of Natural Resources, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. Discusses provisions of Treaty of 1855. Discusses state’s role and the relationship between federal and tribal governments, (EXHIBIT C).
081	Huber	States that in the last 15 years since passage of the Umatilla Basin Act, they have worked together with Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife (ODFW) and Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) to fund hatcheries and salmon restoration in the Umatilla Basin.
113	Huber	Provides a history of salmon in the Umatilla Basin. Discusses the four-H’s hatchery, habitat, hydro-mitigation, and harvest. Explains that in 1995, four Columbia Basin treaty tribes, Yakima, Nez Perce, Umatilla, and Warm Springs authored “Spirit of the Salmon”, plan to help save salmon.
132	Huber	Reviews HB 3609 (1999) and the relationship with ODFW. Discusses the difference between hatchery and wild fish. Concludes that the Oregon Plan needs to provide direction and also work with the tribes as co-managers.
172	Michael Mason	Representative for Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. Expresses that the Oregon Plan is consistent with the 1855 treaties. Discusses issues related to Oregon Plan.
223	Mason	Addresses Stevens–Palmer Treaties of 1855 noting that Palmer recognized that tribes would not sign treaties without protection of the fishing rights.
250	Don Sampson	Executive Director, Columbia River Intertribal Fish Commission. Representative of Warm Springs, Umatilla, Nez Perce, and Yakima tribes. Submits and presents a summary of prepared testimony (EXHIBIT D).
358	Sampson	Outlines goals, explains that 1995 it was decided to achieve the goal of 5 million salmon in the next 25 years. Reviews relationship with the Northwest Power Planning Council (NWPPC).
TAPE 18, B
032	Sampson	Concludes that a sub-basin plan that describes the strategy, cost, and implementation time frame is needed.
053	Rep. Tomei	Questions if there is a concern about the fish being wild or hatchery.
058	Sampson	Answers that in each basin wild populations are assessed, and in cases where the populations are low, supplementation is considered.
065	Rep. King	Asks for an overview of when supplementation is used and how it increases populations. Expresses concern that wild populations may be overwhelmed by supplementation.
070	Sampson	Responds that the current idea is to evaluate the status of the populations, where the trend is going, and how long will it take. Addresses issues of viability of the population, inbreeding, and different views of hatcheries. Refers to the Yakima hatchery in Washington.
118	Sampson	Refers to prepared testimony regarding wild and hatchery fish noting that runs and genetics have not differed.
140	Kristina McNitt	Oregon Water Resources Congress. Reads testimony (EXHIBIT E).
225	Rod Park	Metro Regional Services. Reads testimony (EXHIBIT F).
356	Chair Jenson	Questions the relationship Metro has had with agencies and the Oregon Plan.
373	Park	Answers the plan previously did not provide an urban component, but with new legislation that has been remedied.
399	Rep. Tomei	Expresses support that Metro continues being pro-active toward salmon recovery.
TAPE 19, B
011	Phil Donovan	Northwest Sport Fishing Industry Association, Northwest Steelheaders and Oregon Guides & Packers Association. Reads (EXHIBIT G).
065	Bob Reese	Chair, Tillamook Bay Watershed Council and President of Tillamook Guides Association. States that the Oregon Plan holds all user groups responsible for the degradation that has occurred in the watersheds.
086	Rep. King	Asks why the fishing in Tillamook this year was poor.
093	Reese	Answers that wild Chinook runs have been depressed. Expresses concern that there is something wrong with the watershed health.
104	Rep. King	Notes that the fishing was good in the Columbia River and questions why the difference exists.
109	Reese	Explains that Columbia River has a strong hatchery influence and is not susceptible to many natural causes that impact the wild fish.
120	Rep. King	Clarifies that flooding helped Columbia River while it hurt Tillamook.
121	Reese	Concurs and clarifies further.
132	Chair Jenson	Closes informational meeting and adjourns meeting at 2:30 p.m.

Submitted By, Reviewed By,

Linda Gatto, Sandy Thiele-Cirka,

Administrative Assistant Committee Administrator

Transcribed By,

Michael Reiley,

Administrative Assistant

EXHIBIT SUMMARY

A – Oregon Plan Overview, written testimony, Valerie Johnson-Eves, 7 pp.

B – Oregon Plan Overview, written testimony, Benjamin Stout, 7 pp.

C – Oregon Plan Overview, written materials, Audie Huber, 16 pp.

D – Oregon Plan Overview, written materials, Don Sampson, 30 pp.

E – Oregon Plan Overview, written testimony, Kristina McNitt, 2 pp.

F – Oregon Plan Overview, various published materials, Rod Park, 37 pp.

G – Oregon Plan Overview, written testimony, Phil Donovan, 2 pp.