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Removing Dams Works by Jessica Kendall The Oregonian, January 9, 2007

The encouraging article, "A dam removal success story" (Jan. 3), showed what success can be made in fish restoration when sound science drives policy -- remove the worst dams, provide habitat, and these resilient salmon and steelhead come back.

The article mentioned perhaps the most crucial natural resource issue currently facing our region: restoring salmon by removing the four costly lower Snake River dams. Again and again, experts conclude that removing these four dams must be the centerpiece of any effort to restore runs on the Columbia and Snake rivers.

We need Congress to authorize studies to better understand these scientific and economic issues. Reps. Earl Blumenauer, David Wu and the [rest of the] Northwest delegation can put good information in front of Congress. With salmon returns declining and billions of taxpayer dollars wasted on a failed federal plan, it is high time our "leaders" take the lead on an issue with both regional and national implications.