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Greed for Power Kills Salmon by David Michael Jones The Oregonian, June 23, 2004

I grew up on a small stream on the Oregon coast where I began fishing for salmon and trout in the 1950s. I still fish and have been involved with fish conservation efforts most of my adult life.

Mark O. Hatfield seems to be more for power than for salmon recovery ("Making sense of salmon recovery," June 11). Removing the Snake River dams and spilling water to help the out-migrating smolts are positive steps for the salmon. Fish biologists acknowledge these steps would help the salmon.

We should be "protecting areas upstream in salmon-rearing grounds."

Keep in mind that the current federal administration brought us the largest salmon kill ever recorded down in the Klamath region. I find it suspect that this same administration says that it will retain the protections for our West Coast salmon under the Endangered Species Act. If this is so, why don't they spill water in the Columbia and release water in the Klamath?

In our greed for power, we have converted one of the greatest rivers on Earth into a series of reservoirs unhealthy for salmon. At the very least, we should try to reduce the impact of our activities on the home waters of these great fish.