gary wrote:
I think the dams and transportation for the famers is in the long
run way more inportant than any fish.
Has anyone ever noticed that we need electricy?

Yes, I have noticed that we need electricity, but I have also noticed that
there are more important things in the world than cheap power, and that it
is important to read a newspaper once in a while, so that informed decisions
can be made. Have you considered the possibility that we can have farming,
electricity, *and* healthy salmon runs?

The dams on the lower Snake River are paralleled by a railway that can serve
the farmers needs just fine. It does cost more than barge transportation,
but it is still reasonably priced. As far as the power, the dams do generate
a modest amount of electricity, but there are lots of ways to generate
electricity, such as wind generation. If there is a shortage, it could be
made up elsewhere.

On the other hand, the most practical way for salmon and steelhead to
migrate is in a river without artificial impediments, and removing the four
dams would help a LOT in that regard. The Bush administration's plan to use
barges and/or freight cars will cost much more than the costs associated
with dam removal, and will not work nearly as well to restore the salmon
runs. It is a holding action at best.

Do you really believe that paying an extra 25 cents for a sack of potatoes
(and that's probably a gross overestimate) is too high a price for
protecting these fish?


--
Rusty Hook
Laramie, Wyoming