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Obama Administration To Present Salmon Plan This Week by Rob Manning Oregon Public Broadcasting, September 14, 2009

The Obama Administration is expected to roll out its long-awaited approach to threatened Columbia and Snake River salmon Tuesday. Rob Manning reports.

Portland judge James Redden has repeatedly rejected federal plans for how to run hydroelectric dams because he wanted stronger protections for fish.

But more recently, Redden has voiced his support for collaborative efforts involving Indian tribes, Northwest states, and federal agencies.

Those helped trigger a $900 million investment in habitat projects.

Environmental and fishing groups, though, say the spending and dam modifications are inadequate.

Liz Hamilton with the Northwest Sportfishing Association says she'd like to put faith in new federal leadeen.

Liz Hamilton: "What we hope is that we're not relying on a judge to do the right thing. We can rely on an administration that put a scientist in charge of a science agency, to restore this river."

Hamilton is talking about Jane Lubchenco, the former OSU scientist, who's now the administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

She disappointed fishing groups last spring, by excluding them from a Portland meeting on the salmon plan.