Letter to the Editor -- Oregon Coast Coho

The recent recommendation by a federal magistrate that Oregon coastal coho should be protected under the Endangered Species Act will further the goals of the state's Oregon Plan for Salmon and Watersheds. A listing will provide needed federal money and expertise. Recent media coverage has created confusion regarding the magistrate and plaintiffs' stance on the Oregon Plan. To clarify, conservation and fishing groups challenged the National Marine Fisheries Service's decision not to list the coho based upon Oregon's claim that scientific data show that the species is currently viable. The magistrate faulted the fisheries service for relying on Oregon's problematic scientific analysis; she did not criticize the Oregon Plan and its voluntary measures. Everyone -- fishermen, conservationists, farmers and loggers -- supports voluntary habitat restoration and working together. However, while we wait to see whether our efforts to restore coho will succeed, flexible ESA protections are needed to ensure that coho don't slip away from us forever.