For those of us who have been following this story, this is nothing new. I know that this list is not for political opinion. But recent actions by the US government in the area of environmental protection for our salmon go beyond politics as usual and they are an affront to most if not all of us who treasure our natural aquatic resourcs. So with a tear in my eye I am posting this excerpt and a link to the original.
Ed Engelman New York Times December 6, 2004 EDITORIAL New Risks for Salmon The Bush administration has dropped any pretense of providing serious long- term protection for endangered salmon species in the Pacific Northwest. Last Tuesday, the administration proposed to roll back restrictions on commercial development across millions of acres in California north to the Canadian border that had been designated four years ago as "critical habitat" essential to salmon recovery. The next day, the administration ruled out demolishing four dams on the lower Snake River - even as a last resort to save the fish. .... Earlier this year, for instance, the administration proposed to count millions of hatchery-raised fish as wild fish - a bit of mathematical casuistry that would instantly make wild populations seem healthier than they are, undercut the need to keep wild salmon on the endangered species list and give the green light to federal agencies to drop protections against logging, homebuilding and other forms of commercial development. ....... to read the whole editorial go to: http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/06/opinion/06mon4.html? th=&oref=login&pagewanted=print&position= free registration may be necessary
