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Yogi Berra and the Endangered Species Act by Editorial Board Capital Press, May 19, 2016

Yogi Berra said it best. It's like deja vu all over again.

For the fifth time, a federal judge has ruled that NOAA Fisheries and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers did not meet the requirements of the Endangered Species Act and the National Environmental Policy Act in coming up with a plan to help threatened and endangered fish that spawn in the Columbia and Snake rivers.

This has been going on for 15 years, as judges are confined by two of the worst-written laws that Congress has ever cooked up. Across the West, these two laws have contributed to the near demise of the timber industry and threaten the cattle industry for the sake of two birds.

One, the northern spotted owl, ranges from California to British Columbia. "Other" spotted owls range as far south as Mexico. The greater sage grouse lives in 11 states and is related to 23 other types of grouse that range from Mexico to the Arctic.

Yet we are willing to throw entire industries under the environmental bus to "save" the birds.

On the Columbia and Snake rivers, billions of dollars -- that's with a "B" -- have been spent on the fish, not because specific species are considered to be endangered, but because certain populations need to be protected.

For example, on the Columbia and Snake rivers the 13 "species" of fish are:

• Snake River fall chinook salmon.

• Snake River spring/summer chinook salmon.

• Upper Columbia River spring chinook salmon.

• Lower Columbia River chinook salmon.

• Upper Willamette River chinook salmon.

• Snake River steelhead.

• Upper Columbia River steelhead.

• Middle Columbia River steelhead.

• Lower Columbia River steelhead.

• Upper Willamette River steelhead.

• Snake River sockeye salmon.

• Columbia River chum salmon.

• Lower Columbia River coho salmon.

In the most recent decision, U.S. District Judge Michael Simon said the case "cries out for a new approach."

We think it cries out for better federal environmental laws.

Without them, the closed circuit of the Columbia and Snake River litigation will continue indefinitely. The Corps and NOAA Fisheries will go back to the drawing board to come up with a sixth plan, only to be sued by environmental groups that know the laws are all but impossible to satisfy, and a judge -- maybe this one, maybe another -- will send them back yet again.

In the meantime, the 13 salmon and steelhead populations will continue to be managed under the current plan, which apparently is good enough for the fish, but not for the Endangered Species Act or the National Environmental Policy Act.

Stand by for round six.