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Agencies, state or federal, are always limited by resources.

No mention was made of what resources are most critically lacking in Oregon.  Could we get a sense of where we could best add resources.

Also, I get the feeling that this lack of local resources is the main reason to look to FDA or USDA to increase enforcement. Is this true.

Agri-business will continue to be the source of the preponderance of food for this nation -- so to that extent, it is the most important place to look to ensure food safety.  Local growers regularly state that they "know" they are producing safe food.  This means that they are limited by their personal "knowledge."  Unfortunately, small operations cannot assemble enough knowledge base to deal even with the existing threats. They can't be a chemist and a micro-biologist and a mycologist and a ..... all at the same time.

posted 3 years, 5 months ago
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The purpose of the Endangered Species Act was to protect species and the habitats on which they depend. In other words, salmon are only part of the story; and their declining numbers or endangered status is only an indicator that something is seriously wrong with the ecosystem.  Plans that are overly focused on the number of any given species lead to "one more fish" as a measure of success and conveniently ignore habitat metrics. 

We need to fix the habitat from natal streams to the ocean and back again, beginning with those parts that are doing the most damage -- the long, warm, quiet reserviors coupled with fish killing turbines. 

Fix the habitat and fish will take care of the rest.

posted 3 years, 8 months ago
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One of the endangered species is the Snake River Fall Chinook.

More than 80% of this species historical spawing habitat has been removed by Snake river dams by turning the river into a series of  lakes.

How does plan address this issue -- does it provide more spawning habitat?

posted 3 years, 8 months ago
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There is no "adequate potential for recovery" in the Endangered Species Act.  The Act talks only about "recovery".  The Agency's wording seems to rely on future actions that could take advantage of that potential -- the chance to recover in the future; nothing now.

posted 3 years, 8 months ago
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If dams are the major cause of fish mortality, what causes the most damage? Long passage through the reserviors, or the turbines themselves? 

How long does it take a smolt to reach the ocean from above the 8 dams?

How long would it take without the dams?

posted 3 years, 8 months ago
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