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Columbia-Snake River Irrigators Association Policy Memorandum
November 21, 2016 TO: FROM:
Transition Team Leadership, President-Elect Donald J. Trump
Ron Reimann, President, CSRIA Darryll Olsen, Ph. D., Board Representative, CSRIA
cc: Mr. David Ponganis, SES, Director Programs,
Federal Columbia River Operations EIS( info @ crso. info) Br. Gen. Scott Spellmon, Division Commander, USACE Mr. Elliot Mainzer, BPA Administrator Ms. Lorri Lee, Regional Director, USBR U. S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, WA U. S. Rep. Dan Newhouse
SUBJECT:
CSRIA Response to the Federal Agencies’ Columbia River System Operations( CRSO), Environmental Impact Statement( EIS)
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The very justification for the current Federal Agencies’ Columbia River Operations EIS is flawed natural resources policy, and it should be corrected by invoking an Action Agencies’( Biological Opinion)“ re-consultation,” with the new Administration’ s Secretary of Interior convening the Endangered Species Act Committee(“ God Squad” Committee).
This renewed EIS process emanates from Oregon Federal Judge Michael Simon’ s incomprehensible decision ignoring two decades of federal agency work to improve Columbia-Snake River fish runs, about $ 15 billion of rate payer funding, actual fish run survival through the hydro system, and factors outside the Columbia-Snake River System that overshadow fish production. Further disregarded are extensive technical analyses, and the tens-of-millions of dollars rate payers’ spent on them, that have already evaluated the destructive measures outlined in Judge Simon’ s BiOp Remand Order.
The Endangered Species Act( ESA) was not framed as an instrument for endless public funding for a self-serving“ salmon recovery industry” nor as a platform for brandishing judicial bias. Actions under the ESA have limits— the ESA Committee can and should set the responsible boundaries for hydro system operations. Those boundaries should reflect competent resources management, not empty gesture environmentalism.
3030 W. Clearwater, Suite 205-A, Kennewick, WA 99336 509-783-1623, DOlsenEcon @ AOL. com