Klickitat Hatchery Spring Chinook Upgrades
The following comments were submitted in response to the open comment period described below.
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BPA is proposing to fund capital improvements to existing facilities at the Klickitat Hatchery that would support an increase in spring Chinook salmon production and allow the Yakama Nation to transition from a segregated to an integrated spring Chinook production program. The hatchery was built in 1954 and most of the facilities have not been renovated. It is operated jointly by the Yakama Nation and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Your comments will help BPA determine the issues that should be addressed in the environmental review.
For More Information:
https://www.bpa.gov/learn-and-participate/public-involvement-decisions/project-reviews/klickitat-hatchery-upgrades-doe-eis-0535
Close of comment: 9/12/2022
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paceThanks for the opportunity to comment. The Klickitat River spring Chinook hatchery has a long and controversial history of operational problems, as well as concerns with its deleterious impacts on naturally spawning populations. I don’t want to revisit the many ‘Frankenfish’ fights between enviros, Yaks, WDFW and federal parties. They were, in retrospect, a near-total waste of everyone’s time. The only reason I even bring it up is because ratepayers’ resources will be used to support a transition from a segregated to an “integrated” spring Chinook production program.” How many times have we heard the “integrated” yarn? When the going gets tough the tough get “integrated.” Well … who could object to that? Sine die. And if people have Frankenfish problems they can go pound sand. The other thing I would like to bring to your attention is about funding.
Using ratepayers’ resources for this program (obviously) violates the “in lieu” provisions of the Northwest Power Act. This hatchery’s operational problems caused by long-term deferral of required maintenance are hardly unique to the hatchery on the Klick. Ivan Donaldson, the Corps’ first biologist whose career began in 1938 at Bonneville,was an early and consistent critic of Mitchell Act hatcheries, railing against their failures to function properly because of cost cutting and diversion of funds. Against this backdrop, the assertion that expenditures of BPA funds will be limited to proposed capital improvements doesn't pass the straight face test and, more importantly, in no way obviates the clear violation of restrictions on in-lieu funding. This program is clearly the responsibility of the Yaks, WDFW, et al., not ratepayers. But, funds provided for this project are actually “hush money” laundered thru the Power Council and paid to silence objections from the Yakama and other tribes to the action agencies’ destruction and adverse modifications of critical habitat. In that geriatic brothel, violations of in-lieu restrictions are the rule rather than the exception. So, all things considered, full steam ahead with the environmental review process giving the minimal mention possible to the issues I have brought to your attention. As my accountant says, “If you don’t care I don’t care.” Thanks for the opportunity to comment.
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Nuetzel/Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish CommissionPlease see the attached.
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