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Electrical Power: Fish vs. Economy by Bruce Trachte Letter to Editor, Tri-City Herald, June 12, 2005

This is just great. We cannot have hydro power because we might affect the salmon population; we cannot use nuclear energy because a meltdown might occur; we cannot use coal because of pollution.

The folks who want to take out the dams forget about all the ecosystems created by the dams. Small lakes and ponds covered in cattails, reeds, etc., provide habitat for the birds and fish.

We have accomplished nothing but destruction by removing these areas.

Eliminating the farms, boating industry, jobs and all the other support businesses in the area is not good for us.

I guess we can buy all of our food -- just like the oil -- from out of the country.

Maybe we should be working to make the dams more efficient, keeping the cost of our electrical power affordable and waters salmon-friendly. There is a limit to the Endangered Species Act when it removes reason and overlooks the livelihood of the people.

After the dams are removed we can say what good stewards of the land we are by letting the river run wild again, overlooking the destruction we have brought upon this land of ours.