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Dirk on Salmon by Melanie Baldwin, McCall Idaho Statesman, May 14, 2006

I was stunned at the Statesman's May 4 editorial quoting Dirk Kempthorne rhapsodizing about watching salmon spawn at Indian Riffles on the Salmon River as a "miracle of nature."

This is the same Dirk Kempthorne who has Idaho in court defending a do-nothing-for-salmon federal plan that will result in the extinction of that miracle of nature. The same man who has Idaho on record opposing removal of the obsolete lower Snake dams, or more water for salmon, or more spill for salmon - in short, the only measures that will appreciably improve survival for that miracle of nature.

I also wonder exactly when he visited Indian Riffles. There haven't been "hundreds of salmon" spawning there for years and years. If he visits this year, he'll be lucky to see five salmon. It'll be our worst salmon return in a decade. Idaho fishermen, fishing businesses, and river towns will pay the price for federal policies that are driving Idaho salmon to extinction. Dirk Kempthorne and Idaho's members of Congress, have supported those policies, instead of supporting Idaho. Flowery words are easy, gentlemen; what about actions?