Reardan students giving salmon talk in Portland

Reardan High School students will be in Portland on Tuesday to give a presentation at the Bonneville Power Administration about reintroducing salmon above Grand Coulee Dam.

The 15-minute talk was prepared by students in Reardan’s agricultural leadership class, who were charged with researching a complex and controversial resource issue, said teacher Rick Perleberg.

Six students will present pros and cons of the proposal, which is backed by Northwest Tribes and First Nations in Canada. The tribes lost an ancient fishery when the dam was built without fish ladders. The students will also give the presentation to members of the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission and the Northwest Power and Conservation Council in Portland.

The students are preparing for the statewide Future Farmers of America’s agriculural issues competition, which takes place in May at Washington State University.