Hearings Seek Testimony On Salmon Plan

The first of 12 public hearings on a federal salmon recovery plan will be held Monday in Lewiston. The National Marine Fisheries Service will take testimony on its proposal to save endangered Snake River sockeye and chinook.

Among other measures, the controversial plan calls for huge releases of water from upstream reservoirs to flush young salmon to the ocean.

The hearings will be held from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. People wanting to testify will be asked to sign up at the door.

Monday’s hearing in Lewiston will be held at the City Community Building, 1424 Main St.

Other Inland Northwest hearings will be May 24 at the Federal Building in Richland, and June 17 at the Columbia Falls, Mont., high school. There also will be hearings in Boise, Stanley and Idaho Falls, Idaho; LaGrande, Portland and Astoria, Ore.; Seattle; and Ketchikan and Sitka, Alaska.

Interest is high, according to Rob Jones, recovery plan coordinator. More than 2,500 copies of the thick recovery plan document have been requested.

Comment deadline is July 17. Further information is available from Jones at the National Marine Fisheries Service, 525 N.E. Oregon St., Suite 500, Portland, 97232, phone (503) 230-5429, fax (503) 230-5435.