Tribe Calls Citizen Concerns Over Salmon Plan an “Attempt to Disrupt Process”

By North Cascades Broadcasting News

Sep 20, 2005

Omak, WA - Despite attending the July meeting of the Upper Columbia Salmon Recovery Board at Omak City Hall, where nearly 80 citizens of Okanogan County expressed serious concerns about the draft Salmon Recovery Plan, the director of the Tribe’s fish and wildlife department has asked the Governor to adopt the plan immediately and without changes from what he calls “a minority of individuals” who are “attempting to disrupt the process.”

In an eight-page letter to the Governor's Salmon Recovery Office, Joe Peone, asked the Governor to adopt the plan for the State of Washington no later than October 14, 2005 and send the plan National Marine Fisheries Service no later than October 17, 2005.

Peone said in the letter that the Tribe is “aware that a majority of citizens, local governments and stakeholders strongly support this plan." Peone said, “this plan is long overdue and is at a stage requiring immediate ratification and action.”

A steering committee put together by Okanogan County Commissioner Bud Hover is in the process of attempting to rewrite the portion of the plan pertaining to Okanogan County, especially the areas regarding habitat.

Hover, Okanogan County’s representative on the UCSRB, has met with Bob Lohn, of NMFS, and said that Lohn understands that without public “buy-in” this plan will be useless to recovering Salmon.

In the last meeting with citizens regarding changes to the plan Hover said, this needs to be a plan that works for NMFS, but it has to work for the citizens of Okanogan County as well. He said he has spoken with Paul Ward of the Yakima Nation, who also is on the UCSRB, and said Ward is “sympathetic to the situation in Okanogan County.”

At that meeting it was pointed out by Roy Webster of Omak, that the Colville Tribe is preparing to put “$30 million into returning salmon to the river” and asked if the board was aware of that. That comment has led some to wonder if the stand taken by Peone and the Tribe is simply one of trying to protect huge amounts of federal and state dollars that they would receive under the plan as written.

In his letter, Peone writes, that the plan “is not a tool to decide ‘if’ a proposed action should occur or be delayed – it is simply a way to phase and finance actions in general.”

Rep. Joel Kretz said the plan as written would mean a “windfall” of cash to the Tribe. Kretz has been very outspoken regarding the problems with the draft plan as it is written, as have all of the representatives and senators from both the 7th and 12th districts.

Kretz has also expressed concern over the implementation of the plan and whether or not it will be truly voluntary, especially where it concerns private property rights. This concern was highlighted in Peone’s letter when he stated that the Tribe asks the Governor to support the plan in its implementation phase and address the “inadequacy of existing regulatory mechanisms.”

Peone did not return our phone calls seeking comment.

The Steering Committee continues to work on changes to the draft plan. The public comment period ends October 1, 2005.