Issue 290                                                                                                    November 2, 2007

In this issue:
Bush vetoes WRDA - Congress schedules override votes - PNWA urges continued support
NOAA Fisheries releases new draft BiOp

 

 

Bush vetoes WRDA - Congress schedules override votes - PNWA urges continued support

As predicted, President Bush today vetoed the 2007 Water Resources Development Act (WRDA).� The bill (H.R.1495) has had strong Congressional support, with the conference report passing the House by 381-40 in August and 81-12 in the Senate in September.� The Northwest Congressional delegation unanimously supported this legislation, and has been critical in securing provisions of interest to PNWA members.

 

We are pleased to report that House and Senate leaders have already indicated that the WRDA veto override votes will take place next week.� The House is expected to vote on Tuesday, and the Senate should take up the bill on Wednesday.� Both chambers must pass the bill by two-thirds majorities to override the President�s veto, and enact the bill into law.

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This is the President�s fifth veto during his time in office.� So far, Congress has not been able to override any of his vetoes, but the WRDA bill is expected to be different.� For months, members of the President�s party have indicated that they will likely break with the President on this issue, and vote to support this long overdue bill.

 

PNWA will send letters of support to the Northwest Congressional delegation, urging our Members of Congress to vote in favor of the bill next week.� For more information about WRDA, please see the attached document that lists provisions that are important to PNWA members.� For more detailed information, please visit www.pnwa.net and click on �Water Resources Development Act�.

 

PNWA Staff Contact: Kristin Meira

 

NOAA Fisheries releases new draft BiOp

NOAA Fisheries (NMFS) released the new draft Biological Opinion Wednesday, October 31st, on the proposed actions by Bonneville Power Administration, the US Army Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation to advance recovery for Endangered Species Act (ESA) listed salmon and steelhead in the Columbia River basin.� This new BiOp includes significant improvements to previous iterations, including physical and operational improvements, more stringent performance standards, and additional commitments and funding from the action agencies. The new BiOp includes data that shows that past measures are working and that new actions will increase survival for the region�s salmon,

 

In this new BiOp, the proposed actions related to navigation have not changed. The federal agencies maintain flexibility to adjust pool levels above stated levels (Minimum Operating Pool on the Snake, Minimum Irrigation Pool on John Day) to meet navigation needs. Discussing impacts to other authorized purposes is more complex. The proposed actions and 73 Reasonable and Prudent Alternatives (RPAs) contain a mix of spill, flow augmentation, physical improvements at the dams, operational improvements in fish handling, habitat improvements in the tributaries and the estuary, improved procedures for fish barging, improved adult passage, and more. It is clear that costs will increase. Hydro system actions are linked to performance standards for juvenile and adult survival at the dams. NOAA has determined that the proposed actions, along with the reasonable and prudent alternatives to proposed actions "are not likely to jeopardize the continued existence of [the listed species] nor result in the destruction or adverse modification of [their] designated critical habitat."

 

Some groups are using the release of the draft BiOp to restate their calls to breach the Snake River dams. NOAA Fisheries staff stated that dam breaching is not necessary because the fish can achieve "no jeopardy" status without breaching dams. The draft BiOp and related documents are available at http://www.nwr.noaa.gov.

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PNWA�s response to the new BiOp was sent to Northwest media on October 31st, and can be viewed on our website.� PNWA was featured in the Columbia Basin Bulletin, The Lewiston Tribune, the Seattle Post Intelligencer web site, and in the national energy and environment policy news publication Greenwire.�

 

NOAA is currently not taking comment on the draft BiOp. It is expected that Judge Redden will schedule a status conference of the parties to the lawsuit and, then, at that time, set dates for comment and completion of the final BiOp. It is expected that parties to the lawsuit will be permitted to comment, but there will not be an opportunity for the general public to comment. PNWA is working with the Inland Ports and Navigation Group (IPNG), which is an intervener in the lawsuit.

 

To find more information on the draft BiOp, visit the Energy and Salmon page on our website www.pnwa.net.

 

Staff contact: Glenn Vanselow

 

Pacific Northwest Waterways Association                                          www.pnwa.net

 

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