GOVERNOR KITZHABER'S COHO PLAN FAILS SCIENTIFIC REVIEW





        In 1996 Governor Kitzhaber of Oregon said that his Coastal Salmon


Recovery Initiative (CSRI) would be peer reviewed and if it did not pass


scientific review he would seek a federal listing of the coho salmon as a


protected threatened species under the Endangered Species Act.  It was soon


after that when he met with environmental groups that he said the Big Timber


interests in Oregon would do more to protect coho salmon habitat as long as


the state of Oregon would not seek a federal listing of the species.  Oregon


Trout, an alleged conservation organization, released its review conducted


by Dr. Mark Powell.  His review graded the CSRI, giving it a D grade.  When


Governor Kitzhaber met with the environmental groups soon after Dr. Powell's


assessment hit the press, the Governor walked out of the meeting with the


environmental groups.  Geoff Pampush of Oregon Trout was so upset with Dr.


Powell's release of his findings they  sought to withhold payment of his fee.





        Since then, the CSRI has been peer reviewed by other scientists.


The Governor invited an independent scientific review from 34 scientists


from Oregon State University, the American Fisheries Society, Oregon


Chapter, and eight individual scientists.  





        This independent peer review found the Governor's coho restoration


plan lacking and not sufficient to recover the species.  This fact has not


been reported in the press and the Governor's office has kept the message


quiet.  The triumph of politics, however, continues as Governor Kitzhaber


seeks to get $30 million in public money from the Oregon legislature to fund


his coho salmon recovery effort. In addition, Governor Kitzhaber has visited


with the Clinton Administration several times trying to get the


administration to come to Oregon and bless the CSRI.  All this is being done


to build political support for a salmon recovery plan that cannot pass


scientific review.





        In January the Democratic Caucus issued a memo to build support for


the Governor's coho recovery plan.  The message from the Governor's office


has changed from one of building a strong salmon recovery plan based on the


best science to one that would prevent a federal listing of the salmon by


the National Marine Fisheries Service.  To that end the Democratic Caucus


collected information from Jim Martin (The Governor's salmon plan architect)


and Ono Husing of the Oregon Coastal Zone Management Association. The memo,


hoping to raise fears of a salmon listing among democrats and get their


votes for the $30 million says the implications of listing are that "


Private landowners could be served a search warrant to allow federal


consultants to walk their land and implement a mandatory program of land use


restrictions including fencing along streams."  





        This month Geoff Pampush of Oregon Trout decided to withdraw


support for listing coho salmon as a protected species.  Since Oregon Trout


is a petitioner for listing the salmon in Oregon, this action raised a few


eyebrows among other environmental groups.  A few groups visited Pampush


after he announced his defection, but he would not change his mind.  While


Pampush tried to enlist the support of other environmental groups and a few


key scientists such as Jim Lichatowich, for his "don't list strategy" to


save the coho salmon, he failed to get support.  Now Oregon Trout is saying


the Oregon legislature has failed to pass out of committee a bill favorable


to coho recovery and it is rethinking its decision to not list the salmon.





        In the meantime, the independent scientific peer reviewers of the


Governor's Coastal Salmon Recover Initiative maintain the first draft plan


and the 5 and 1/4 inch, 15 pound revised draft plan are still not enough to


recover the species.  





        The National Marine Fisheries Service has tried to work with the


state of Oregon in developing a state generated salmon recovery plan, but it


is under court order to stop delaying action on  the listing and either list


or not list the coho salmon as a protected species under the Endangered


Species Act.  This decision comes near the end of April.  Will the Regional


Director of the National Marine Fisheries Service, Will Stelle, overlook the


fact that the Oregon coho plan has not passed scientific peer review and opt


to not list the salmon, or will he list coho salmon and thus acknowledge


that the Oregon effort fell short of protecting the species?





        While all this is going on, the Oregon Department of Fish and


Wildlife is laying the ground work to commercially harvest coho salmon in


1998.  This fish agency has reduced the spawner escapement goal constraint


on harvest, so it can claim recovery and go fishing sooner.