Power Council Careful With New Clout Panel Spends $90 Million On Fish, Wildlife In First Meeting With Control Of Bpa Funds

The Northwest Power Planning Council moved cautiously Wednesday in wielding its new influence over how millions of dollars are spent on fish and wildlife projects in the region.

The council unanimously recommended spending about $90 million over the next year on efforts to mitigate fish and wildlife losses from Northwest dams. But the eight members suggested another $56 million be withheld until more scientific study is done on the effectiveness of other measures.

Chairman John Etchart, one of two Montana members of the council, acknowledged the council was wary partly because this is the first time it has had legal authority to recommend how the Bonneville Power Administration spends money on fish and wildlife programs.

“We cannot afford to get this wrong,” he said. “As Bonneville’s budget gets tighter, more scrutiny and criticism will be directed our way.”

But, he added, “it’s more than caution. These are very complicated and convoluted areas. We don’t want to undo the good work that is under way.”

Ken Casavant, council member from Washington, said the goal was to make sure the endorsed projects make sense scientifically and economically.

“We’re talking about getting the best bang for our buck in our fish recovery effort,” he said.

Robert Lohn, fish and wildlife director for the BPA, said the council’s views will not be ignored when the federal agency prepares its new budget.

“We will follow these recommendations,” he said, praising the council for its increased oversight and scrutiny of mitigation efforts.

The council - composed of two representatives each from Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington - was created in 1980. It is responsible for ensuring reliable and economic electricity in the region while protecting and improving fish and wildlife impacted by the series of hydroelectric dams in the Columbia River Basin.

The council has $127 million in ratepayer money from BPA to spend on that effort for the year beginning Oct. 1. Regional fish and wildlife officials had proposed $148 million in projects.

The council bowed to concerns of Indian tribes by deciding against a moratorium on funding of new fish hatcheries until a study of the impacts of hatchery fish is better understood. Tribes were concerned because they have proposed all the new hatcheries in the basin.

The council recommended a study of all hatchery operations in region but agreed that those hatcheries most ready to begin production should be reviewed for continued funding on a case-by-case basis.

The council also put off a decision on a funding request for the Kootenai Tribe’s hatchery in Bonners Ferry, and asked the tribe to submit a new proposal.

“They need to ask us for more money, basically,” explained John Harrison, council spokesman.

The hatchery is raising Kootenai white sturgeon as part of the short-term recovery program for the endangered fish. A recent fish kill at the poorly equipped hatchery drew the attention of the council.

All other ongoing BPA-funded fish and wildlife programs in North Idaho were funded.

The panel also said about $10 million for improving fish spawning habitat should be put on hold until spending guidelines are developed later this year.

A new process of funding fish and wildlife research projects through competitive grants was proposed by the council, although members also endorsed spending $450,000 on three studies.

One will investigate the effect of dam operations on salmon spawning areas along the Columbia River, another will study the chinook salmon population in the river and a third project will analyze impacts of dams on the area where the river meets the Pacific Ocean.

The council asked for an end to using BPA money to help pay for law enforcement programs against poaching and habitat destruction. Members agreed those duties have little connection to mitigating impacts from dams and properly belong to federal, state or tribal governments.

The council decided to maintain the program to control squawfish, which prey on young salmon. The staff had suggested the practice of paying a reward of $3 a fish be continued, but said paying anglers by the hour to hook squawfish at dams is not cost-effective and should be dropped.

Council members said they did not want to abolish dam fishing.

, DataTimes The following fields overflowed: BYLINE = Bob Anez Associated Press Staff writer Susan Drumheller contributed to this report.