Salmon Recovery Plan Meeting in Okanogan This Week

North Cascades Broadcasting News -

Oct 31, 2006

Next week, the Upper Columbia Salmon Recovery Board and federal NOAA Fisheries will hold a meeting in Okanogan to gather comments on the proposed salmon recovery plan for the upper Columbia River area.

The meeting will be held Wednesday, Nov. 8, beginning at 6:30 pm, in the Okanogan County Commissioners hearing room.

Officials say the meeting to supposed help people understand and comment on the proposed plan.

The Upper Columbia Salmon Recovery Plan is aimed at helping salmon species listed under the federal Endangered Species Act. In the Upper Columbia River basin, that include spring Chinook salmon, which are listed as endangered and steelhead, which are listed as threatened.

Officials say the plan is voluntary and not enforceable or regulatory, but sets goals and identifies actions that would, if implemented, lead to recovery of the listed species. However, State Rep. Joel Kretz says the plan is really “a silver bullet that hands over local land use decisions to the feds.” He says what is being billed a “locally developed plan” is really not local at all.

Kretz says, “If you come to one meeting in your life, this is the one.” He says, “Showing up at this meeting will make a difference.”

Again that meeting will be held Wednesday, November 8, beginning at 6:30pm in the Commissioners’ Hearing Room in Okanogan.


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