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Methow Valley News January 20, 2000 Endangered Species Coverage Publisher's Comment ~ by Lee Hicks Progress? Let’s keep our fingers crossed In looking at the present state of discussions regarding fish and water issues, it’s difficult not to recall the words of Val Sukovaty at the big November meeting in Twisp. "It’s not that we don’t care. It’s that the process has been handled so badly," she said. "I hope you don’t feel that because we’re so very, very upset (that) we wouldn’t work to help the fish," she concluded. Could it be that the process is about to turn around? We can hope. Call it cautious—or nervous—optimism. One veteran participant said there appears to be some hope that federal officials are listening to practical solutions rather than stuck on the stick and half-carrot approach that has thus far predominated since the 1999 irrigation season. That said, however, any number of people—inside and outside of government—remember they thought things would be resolved long before now. In fairness to National Marine Fisheries Service, which doesn’t get much sympathy in these parts, the agency has gotten itself into the precarious position of listing fish as endangered without a good grasp of the problem much less solution. NMFS is now saying it’s willing to spend more time on the "best science" that the Endangered Species Act says is needed for fish recovery. State officials are asking for an independent review of one of the most comprehensive studies of upper Columbia basin salmonids that tends to contradict stream flow assumptions embraced by NMFS. State legislators have received some initially-positive reactions from top NMFS officials regarding a more important role of the local watershed planning unit in fish and water programs. All of this looks promising. But even with the heavy snows of recent days, time is running out before spring runoff begins. There’s still much work needed to head off a real meltdown. Opinion | Sports |
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