Bipartsian Senate Group Seeks To Continue Salmon Funding

Washington, DC - Idaho Senators Mike Crapo and Larry Craig have enlisted the bipartisan support of fellow Northwest senators in seeking to continue the success in salmon recovery efforts available through the Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund. Last year, efforts by Crapo and Craig got Idaho included for the first time among the states receiving money under the Fund.â??These funds have been used well and effectively,â?? wrote the Senators in a letter to the chairmen and ranking members of both the Senate Appropriations and Commerce Committees. â??Each eligible state, including Idaho, which was included for the first time in FY 2004, has established habitat restoration programs that simultaneously advance fish recovery and promote face-to-face deliberations among the many competing interests in this issue.â?? The letter seeks continued funding for FY 2005. Over the past three years Congress has provided $110 million, $90 million, and $90 million respectively. Idahoâ??s share in the Fund is scheduled to rise from $5 million to $8 million, with much of the habitat work done in cooperation with landowners along tributaries of the Lemhi and Salmon rivers in Central Idaho. # # # March 22, 2004The Honorable Ted StevensChair, Senate Appropriations CommitteeS-128 CapitolWashington, DC 20510The Honorable Robert C. ByrdRanking Member, Senate Appropriations CommitteeS-206 CapitolWashington, DC 20510The Honorable Judd GreggChair, Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, State, and the Judiciary393 Russell Senate Office BuildingWashington, DC 20510The Honorable Ernest F. HollingsRanking Member, Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, State, and theJudiciary125 Russell Senate Office BuildingWashington, DC 20510Dear Chairman Stevens, Senator Byrd, Senator Gregg, and Senator Hollings:We thank you for your past support of the Pacific Salmon Fund and askyou to renew your efforts for FY 2005 as we near some important milemarkers in the conservation, protection, and maintenance of Pacificsalmon stocks. We are writing to urge the committee and relevantsubcommittee to include adequate, funding for the Pacific Salmon fund inthe FY 2005 appropriations process.Over the last three years your committee has provided, $110 million,$90 million, and $90 million, respectively. These funds have been usedwell and effectively. Each eligible state, including Idaho, which wasincluded for the first time in F'Y 2004, has established habitatrestoration programs that simultaneously advance fish recovery andpromote face-to-face deliberations among the many competing interestsin this issue.For example, landowners and agencies in the state of Idaho have focusedthe efforts of two neighboring counties, including their Soil and WaterConservation Districts and state and federal agency partners, on awatershed scale restoration agreement in the upper Salmon River. TheFund will help Idaho replicate this model throughout the spawninghabitat it provides for coastal salmon.The state of Washington, which has been using the Fund since 2000, alsohas focused the efforts of counties and conservation districts, and haseach year corrected about 300 barriers to fish and opened about 300miles of habitat. These are only two representative examples of the work that is alsoproceeding in Oregon, California, and Alaska. To sustain and expandthis necessary work, we urge your committee to work to ensure that allneeded salmon funds are incorporated into the FY 2005 appropriationsbill. Thank you for your consideration of our request.