10/05/05 Kempthorne at Salmon Recovery meet

If they have anything to do with salmon recovery efforts they are in Boise for a two day workshop. Governor Dirk Kempthorne kicked off the conference by calling for a holistic approach to salmon recovery. Kempthorne reminded the group yesterday that he and the governors of Oregon, Washington and Montana agreed five years ago to a series of policy recommendations for salmon and steelhead recovery. KEMPTHORNE "I will tell you in all candor that I am dismayed by the lack of progress that's been made by federal agencies on implementing that vision. It's been over a decade since listing and most protected stocks still don't have a recovery plan." The Idaho governor wants any recovery approach to take into account the five H's, hydropower, harvest, hatcheries, habitat and humans. The governor says Idaho has made sacrifices and investments in habitat development that should be duplicated in other H areas. KEMPTHORNE "Like the purchase of 90 thousand acre feet of water from the Bell Rapids project for 22 million dollars, the establishment of minimum streamflows in the Salmon River and its tributaries and over 100 successful conservation projects in the upper Salmon and Clearwater basins." Kempthorne says proceeding without a federal recovery plan is like running a race without a finish line. Today's Idaho Ag News Bill Scott