Number: 1980-48
WHEREAS, the Columbia River chinook salmon and steelhead runs have traditionally been the largest and most valuable segments of the world’s largest chinook salmon and steelhead runs; and
WHEREAS, these anadromous fish runs in the upriver Columbia River system have declined to the point of near extinction, and the entire Columbia River fishery is threatened by ever-increasing electric power developments and irrigation withdrawals; and
WHEREAS, for some Columbia upriver fish runs, time is a critical factor; and
WHEREAS, current northwest energy legislation (the Northwest Power Bill) before Congress could provide an effective vehicle for restoring these anadromous fisheries by the inclusion of provisions to insure protection for Columbia River Basin salmon and steelhead;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation in annual meeting assembled March 20-23, 1980, in Miami Beach, Fla., hereby urges the U. S. Congress and, specifically, congressional committees on power, energy, water and natural resources to include provisions in the Northwest Power/Energy Bill that would establish Columbia River guaranteed minimum streamflows, sufficient to restore and maintain anadromous fish runs; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that provision be included to fund and establish safe fish-passage facilities at each mainstream dam in the Columbia River Basin for both juvenile downstream migrants and upstream spawning runs; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that, if the Northwest Power/Energy Bill has been passed and made into law and it does not include these fishery enhancement provisions, every possible effort now be made to introduce and encourage passage of legislation that would provide the aforementioned safeguards to restore and maintain Columbia River chinook salmon and steelhead runs.