The Umatilla Tribes on Wednesday gained funding approval for further
study toward their goal of restoring Pacific lampreys in the Umatilla
River to self-sustaining and harvestable levels.
The Northwest Power Planning Council signed off on an overall
"Restoration Plan for Pacific Lampreys in the Umatilla River, Oregon."
It also endorsed $381,000 in fiscal year 2000 spending for pilot studies
aimed at judging techniques for carrying out that restoration. Pilot
study funding had earlier been

Bonneville Dam on their way upriver in 1996 and 1997. Ongoing NMFS
and
University of Idaho research is addressing mainstem passage.
The fiscal year 2000 plan calls for capturing 500 adults from the John
Day River at Tumwater Falls and from the John Day Dam fish ladder for
outplanting in the Umatilla river. The resulting increase in "larval
densities" is expected to draw natural spawners, which are attracted
to
streams by the presence of larvae.
Link information:
NWPPC: ...

A pair of Washington House of Representatives "memorials" would ask
the president and Congress to amend federal marine mammal and bird protection
acts to make them more in tune with the state's efforts to revive dwindling
salmon and steelhead populations.
On Feb. 10 the state House passed unanimously a joint memorial supporting
changes to the Marine Mammal Protection act to allow deterrent management
of sea lions and harbor seals that prey on endangered salmon stocks.
On Feb. 11 the House

A city with a heritage of commercial salmon fishing at one end of the
Columbia River may officially come out in favor of breaching dams at the
other end of the river. The City Council of Astoria is considering a resolution
in favor of removing four dams on the Snake River as one step toward salmon
recovery.
City Councilor Doug Thompson introduced a resolution to remove the dams
at the Feb. 7, 2000 City Council meeting. At that meeting, the Council
chose to take public input and then think

Those who support removing the four lower Snake River Dams to recover
threatened and endangered fish made a surprisingly strong showing at public
meetings in Clarkston, Wash., on salmon and steelhead recovery Thursday.
Buoyed by support from Nez Perce tribal members, fishing and rafting
guides from Riggins and residents of the more environmentally minded university
towns of Moscow and Pullman breaching supports outnumbered those opposed
to removing the dams.
Breaching supporters told ...

The federal agency now gathering input on proposed rules to protect
fish habitat on non-federal lands has padded its public meeting schedule,
though not as much as Washington's senior U.S. senator would have liked.
A National Marine Fisheries Service spokesman said today that a hearing
on proposed 4(d) rules hearing was added in Walla Walla, Wash., per a request
from Sen. Slade Gorton. But a Gorton request for an extension of the comment
deadline from March 6 to July 6 was denied by ...