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John Twa: Salmon by John Twa Idaho Statesman, December 21, 2016

They will defend the dams until every last salmon is gone...

Thank you for your recent editorial, "Future of Idaho's wild salmon can't be sacrificed for any other interest."

I agree that nature has been sending us distress signals about the salmon species' health. But I do not agree that we are "missing or misdiagnosing the problem."

There are powerful forces with deep pockets hard at work to keep the dams in place regardless of the salmon species' condition. And they have the ear of our elected representatives here in the Northwest. No matter how much scientific evidence is generated pointing the finger at the four lower Snake dams, they will always find another scapegoat.

Recently at the Idaho Environmental Forum, it was lack of habitat and overharvest that got the blame by the NW RiverPartners. They will defend the dams until every last salmon is gone, and then they will rejoice in not having to deal with them and their supporters ever again.

Extinction is forever and biologists are telling us that is where we are headed. The Snake River salmon are going to slip away while we pin our hopes on this new NEPA process.