Salmon Protection Battle Heats Up

Debate flared Tuesday in Oregon, Seattle and Washington, D.C., over the future of endangered salmon in the Pacific Northwest. (A) lawsuit filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Seattle targets salmon-protection rules issued by the fisheries service in June, after 14 salmon and steelhead species were listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act. Tryg Sletteland, CEO of Eugene-based Pacific Rivers Council, said his organization joined in the lawsuit partly because in approving the Forest and Fish Agreement, the fisheries service effectively agreed to the taking of salmon "pending development of the specifics of the conservation plan. Our belief is that the plan specifics should be issued up front before the take permit is issued," Tryg said.