Table Of Content.
CHEHALIS RIVER BASIN OVERSIGHT
Y 4. H 53: 103-46
J
Chehalis River Basin Oversight, Ser.
.
SUBCOMMITTEES ON FISHERIES MANAGEMENT AND
ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES
OF THE
COMMITTEE ON
MERCHANT MARINE AND FISHERIES
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ONE HUNDRED THIRD CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
ON
MEASURES TO RESTORE PRODUCTION OF SALMON AND
STEELHEAD IN CHEHALIS RIVER BASIN
JULY 14, 1993
Serial No. 103-46
Printed for the use of the Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries
*C1
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U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
WASHINGTON 1993
:
ForsalebytheU.S.GovernmentPrintingOffice
SuperintendentofDocuments.CongressionalSalesOffice,Washington.DC 20402
ISBN 0-16-041752-X
72-813 - 93 - 1
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CHEHALIS RIVER BASIN OVERSIGHT
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Y 4. II 53: 103-46
J
Chehalis River Basin Oversight, Ser.
.
SUBCOMMITTEES ON FISHERIES MANAGEMENT AND
ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES
OF THE
COMMITTEE ON
MERCHANT MARINE AND FISHERIES
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ONE HUNDRED THIRD CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
ON
MEASURES TO RESTORE PRODUCTION OF SALMON AND
STEELHEAD IN CHEHALIS RIVER BASIN
JULY 14, 1993
Serial No. 103-46
Printed for the use of the Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries
t?
U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
72-813s=i WASHINGTON : 1993
ForsalebytheU.S.GovernmentPrintingOffice
SuperintendentofDocuments.CongressionalSalesOffice.Washington.DC 20402
ISBN 0-16-041752-X
72-813 - 93 - 1
COMMITTEE ON MERCHANT MARINE AND FISHERIES
GERRY E. STUDDS, Massachusetts, Chairman
WILLIAM J. HUGHES, New Jersey JACK FIELDS, Texas
EARL HUTTO, Florida DON YOUNG, Alaska
W.J. (BILLY) TAUZIN, Louisiana HERBERT H. BATEMAN, Virginia
WILLIAM O. LIPINSKI, Illinois JIM SAXTON, New Jersey
SOLOMON P. ORTIZ, Texas HOWARD COBLE, North Carolina
THOMAS J. MANTON, New York CURT WELDON, Pennsylvania
OWEN B. PICKETT, Virginia JAMES M. INHOFE, Oklahoma
GFEROARNGKEPJA.LHLOOCNEH,BRJrU.E,CNKeNwEJRe,rseNyew York AWRATYHNUERT.RAGVIELNCHERLE,STJr,.,MSaoruytlhanCdarolina
GREG LAUGHLIN, Texas RANDY "DUKE" CUNNINGHAM, California
JOLENE UNSOELD, Washington JACK KINGSTON, Georgia
GENE TAYLOR, Mississippi TILLIE K. FOWLER, Florida
JACK REED, Rhode Island MICHAEL N. CASTLE, Delaware
H. MARTIN LANCASTER, North Carolina PETER T. KING, New York
THOMAS H. ANDREWS, Maine LINCOLN DIAZ-BALART, Florida
ELIZABETH FURSE, Oregon RICHARD W. POMBO, California
LYNN SCHENK, California HELEN DELICH BENTLEY, Maryland
GENE GREEN, Texas CHARLES H. TAYLOR, North Carolina
ALCEE L. HASTINGS, Florida PETER G. TORKILDSEN, Massachusetts
DAN HAMBURG, California
BLANCHE M. LAMBERT, Arkansas
ANNA G ESHOO, California
THOMAS J. BARLOW, III, Kentucky
BART STUPAK, Michigan
BENNIE G. THOMPSON, Mississippi
MARIA CANTWELL, Washington
PETER DEUTSCH, Florida
GARY L. ACKERMAN, New York
Jeffrey R. Pike, StaffDirector
William W. Stelle, Jv..,ChiefCounsel
Mary J. Fusco Kitsos, ChiefClerk
Harry F. Burroughs, Minority StaffDirector
Subcommittee on Fisheries Management
THOMAS J. MANTON, New York, Chairman
WJIOLLLEINAEMUJN.SHOUEGLHDE,SW,asNheiwngJteornsey DHOONWAYRODUNCGO,BLAEl,asNkoarth Carolina
GENE TAYLOR, Mississippi ARTHUR RAVENEL, Jr., South Carolina
H. MARTIN LANCASTER, North Carolina JACK KINGSTON, Georgia
DAN HAMBURG, California JACK FIELDS, Texas (ExOfficio)
MARIA CANTWELL, Washington
EARL HUTTO, Florida
GERRY E. STUDDS, Massachusetts
(ExOfficio)
Jim Mathews, StaffDirector
Gregory Lambert, Counsel
Rod Moore, Minority Professional Staff
(II)
Ill
Subcommittee on Environment and Natural Resources
GERRY E. STUDDS, Massachusetts, Chairman
GEORGE J. HOCHBRUECKNER, New York JIM SAXTON, New Jersey
FRANK PALLONE, Jr., New Jersey DON YOUNG, Alaska
GREG LAUGHLIN, Texas CURT WELDON, Pennsylvania
JOLENE UNSOELD, Washington ARTHUR RAVENEL, Jr., South Carolina
JACK REED, Rhode Island WAYNE T. GILCHREST, Maryland
ELIZABETH FURSE, Oregon RANDY "DUKE" CUNNINGHAM, California
DAN HAMBURG, California MICHAEL N. CASTLE, Delaware
BLANCHE M. LAMBERT, Arkansas CHARLES H. TAYLOR, North Carolina
ANNA G. ESHOO, California JACK FIELDS, Texas (ExOfficio)
EARL HUTTO, Florida
W.J. (BILLY) TAUZIN, Louisiana
SOLOMON P. ORTIZ, Texas
BENNIE G. THOMPSON, Mississippi
Daniel Ashe, Professional Staff
Karen Steuer, Professional Staff
Gina DeFerrari, Professional Staff
Laurel Bryant, Minority Professional Staff
CONTENTS
Page
HearingheldJuly 14, 1993 1
Statement of:
Cantwell, Hon. Maria, a U.S. Representative from Washington — 7
Dicks, Hon. Norman D. a U.S. Representative from Washington Pre-
pared statement 22
Ellison, Diane, Chairman, Chehalis River Fisheries Task Force 9
Prepared statement 187
Fields, Hon. Jack, a U.S. Representative from Texas, and Ranking Minor-
ity Member, Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries 6
Furse, Hon. Elizabeth, a U.S. Representative from Oregon 3
Manton, Hon. Thomas J., a U. S. Representative from New York, and
Chairman, Subcommittee on Fisheries Management
Moyer, Steve, Director ofGovernment Affairs, Trout Unlimited 11
Smith, Dick, Acting Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 4
Prepared statement 31
Unsoeld, Hon. Jolene, a U.S. Representative from Washington
Youckton, David, Vice Chairman, Chehalis Tribe 7
Prepared statement 184
Young, Hon. Don, a U.S. Representative from Alaska 7
Additional material supplied:
Smith, Dick (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service):
Summary ofChehalis River Fishery Restoration Funding 36
Chehalis River Basin Fishery Resources: Status, Trends, and Restora-
tion Goals 42
Youckton, David (Chehalis Tribe): Answers to questions submitted by
Subcommittee 186
Pavletich, Jerry (Northwest Steelhead & Salmon Council): Testimony of
Trout Unlimited 191
Ellison, Diane (Chehalis River Fisheries Task Force): Testimony ofWash-
ington Trollers Association, prepared byGeoffLebon 192
Washington, State of, Testimony regarding the Chehalis River Basin
Fisheries Restoration Act 195
(V)
CHEHALIS RIVER BASIN OVERSIGHT
WEDNESDAY, JULY 14, 1993
House of Representatives, Subcommittee on Fisheries
Management, and Subcommittee on Environment
and Natural Resources, Committee on Merchant
Marine and Fisheries,
Washington, DC.
The Subcommittees met, pursuant to call, at 1:40 p.m., in room
1334, Longworth House Office Building, Hon. Thomas J. Manton
[chairman ofthe Subcommittee] presiding.
Present, Subcommittee on Fisheries Management: Representa-
tives Manton, Unsoeld, Taylor, Hamburg, Cantwell, Kingston, and
Torkildsen.
Present, Subcommittee on Environment and Natural Resources:
Representatives Hochbrueckner, Pallone, Unsoeld, Furse, and
Hamburg.
Staff present, Subcommittee on Fisheries Management: Jim Mat-
thews, Staff Director; Greg Lambert, Counsel; Lori Rosa, Legisla-
tive Clerk; and Mike Stemple, Professional Staff.
Staff present, Subcommittee on Environment and Natural Re-
sources: Leigh Clayton, Legislative Clerk; Laurel Bryant, Minority
Professional Staff; and Frank Lockhart, Sea Grant Fellow.
Staff Present, Full Committee: Suzanne Waldron, Press Secre-
tary; Linda Livingston, Assistant to Staff Director; Harry F. Bur-
roughs, Minority Staff Director; Rodney H. Moore, Jr., Minority
Professional Staff; Jill Brady, Minority Professional Staff; Julie
Roberts, Minority Sea Grant Fellow; Margherita Woods, Minority
Staff Assistant; and JayneAnne Rex, Minority Professional Staff.
Staff present, Subcommittee on Oceanography, Gulf of Mexico,
and the Outer Continental Shelf; Edward Lee, Professional Staff.
STATEMENT OF HON. THOMAS J. MANTON, A U.S. REPRESENTA-
TIVE FROM NEW YORK, AND CHAIRMAN, SUBCOMMITTEE ON
FISHERIES MANAGEMENT
Mr. Manton. Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. I think it is
appropriate that we get started. We are on a roll call vote but the
Members should be trickling in, so in the interest of time, we will
get started.
Today, we examine the causes of the precipitous decline in
salmon and steelhead production in the Chehalis River Basin in
the State of Washington. We will also consider measures to restore
these significant fish stocks.
Over the last six months, the Subcommittee on Fisheries Man-
agement has held three hearings on the reauthorization of the
(l)
Magnuson Act. I have also attended innumerable meetings in
recent months relating to managing the Nation's valuable fishery
resources. One message that has consistently resounded loud and
clear is that we can no longer maintain the existence of our fisher-
ies by simply managing harvest; we must dramatically improve our
efforts to conserve and restore fish habitat.
This hearing gives us an opportunity to look at a specific case
where habitat loss has adversely affected important commercial,
recreational and tribal fisheries.
The plight of salmon stocks in the Chehalis River Basin, where
logging, farming, dams, and excessive fishing pressures have de-
pleted fish populations, is a textbook example of sacrificing the en-
vironment for short-term profit. For at least the past 50 years,
local, State, and Federal Governments have encouraged economic
growth based on the consumption of the abundant natural re-
sources of the Pacific Northwest. Unfortunately, the economic
gains in the timber, agriculture, hydroelectric energy, and other
sectors of the region's economy have often been at the expense of
the environment. These changes have especially harmed fish habi-
tat and the salmon stocks.
The Department of the Interior has recently prepared its draft
report to Congress on the specific causes of the decline of the Che-
halis fisheries and has recommended a series of steps to reverse
these declines. The challenge is to rebuild the Chehalis fish stocks
in a manner that balances the need to conserve the environment
and the need to maintain economic viability. A fisheries rebirth in
the Chehalis River Basin would produce socioeconomic benefits
throughout the region. More importantly, it would serve as a fish-
eries restoration model that could be applied throughout the Pacif-
ic Northwest and other areas ofthe Nation.
I especially look forward to hearing the views ofour witnesses on
fishery restoration needs for the Chehalis Basin specifically, and
other river basins in general. I am also interested in their views on
the Federal and non-Federal roles in this restoration, and on the
overall costs and benefits ofsalmon restoration.
I want to thank Chairman Studds of our full Committee for his
assistance and efforts in organizing and cochairing this hearing. I
also thank my distinguished colleagues from the State of Washing-
ton, Congresswoman Unsoeld and Congressman Dicks, for their
continued leadership in restoring West Coast salmon stocks, par-
ticularly those of the Chehalis River Basin. Without their diligent
efforts leading to passage and implementation of the Chehalis
River Basin Fishery Resources Study and Restoration Act of 1990,
we could not be here today considering specific measures to restore
Chehalis salmon stocks.
I don't note the presence of our colleague from Alaska, Mr.
Young, so I will turn the floor over to Mrs. Unsoeld for an opening
statement.
STATEMENT OF HON. JOLENE UNSOELD, A U.S. REPRESENTATIVE
FROM WASHINGTON
Mrs. Unsoeld. Thank you, very much, Mr. Chairman, and my
additional thanks to you for picking up on this issue, which, as you
