Cutthroat trout won't get endangered listing, U.S. says

The U.S. government said Wednesday it will not list Portland-area coastal cutthroat trout under the Endangered Species Act, disappointing conservationists but relieving local officials already burdened by requirements brought by two protected salmon species.

The listing would have been significant, because cutthroat are more widely present in Portland-area streams than steelhead and chinook salmon, which were listed as threatened in 1998 and 1999. Cutthroat are even found in streams with passage blocked by waterfalls and other obstructions, such as the upper reaches of Fanno and Tryon creeks.

Some cutthroat spend their entire lives in freshwater, while others migrate to the ocean before returning to spawn.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service jointly proposed in April 1999 declaring Southwest Washington/Columbia River cutthroat threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act.

The Fish and Wildlife Service, which has since taken sole responsibility for cutthroat, said it decided against listing the fish because new data show their numbers are stable and because new fish-protection measures have been put in place.

It is a federal crime, punishable by fines and prison terms, to kill an animal listed under the Endangered Species Act or damage its habitat. Also, any project affecting listed animals that needs a federal permit or uses federal funds must be approved by federal biologists before going forward.

Jon Rhodes, head of the western native trout campaign for the Center for Biological Diversity, said his agency would likely appeal the decision not to list. The center, based in Tucson, Ariz., had petitioned for the listing.

Jim Myron, conservation director of Oregon Trout, said he was not surprised that the Bush administration did not list cutthroat. "This decision simply indicates that the Bush administration doesn't want to deal with any more fish listings," Myron said. "I'm sure they (Fish and Wildlife Service staff) were looking for every shred of evidence they could find to justify a decision not to list."

Robin Bown, a Fish and Wildlife Service biologist who led the cutthroat review team, said that was not true. "Our recommendation was strictly biological and legal," she said. "There was no political pressure."

Jim Middaugh, manager of Portland's Endangered Species Program, said that Fish and Wildlife officials had said they would monitor cutthroat levels and efforts to restore fish habitat, including Portland's efforts.

"Those that are opposed to restoration and recovery measures should not take comfort in this decision," Middaugh said. "If our resolve withers even a bit, this listing will be right back in our face."

The population of coastal cutthroat that had been proposed for listing extends from the tributaries of Grays Harbor, Wash., south to the mouth of the Columbia River and east to The Dalles Dam. The area includes metropolitan Portland south to Willamette Falls.

The Fish and Wildlife Service did not release estimates of cutthroat numbers -- officials said detailed data would be released within two weeks -- but said the latest information shows populations are "relatively robust." Reach Jonathan Brinckman at 503-221-8190 or jbrinckman@news.oregonian.com.

I can only find this in Portland IndyMedia currently, but you might want to keep a heads up on this developing action:

June 24, 2002 Olympia, WA - Activists from the Cascadia Defense Network, a grassroots environmental group, have staged a tree sit in opposition to a proposed natural gas pipeline in Thurston County, WA. The group feels that the 49-mile long gas pipeline project will adversely impact endangered species habitat in the Black River National Wildlife Refuge.

The section of the Black River that the pipeline company (Tulsa based Williams Company) wants to tear up contains 1 of only 3 known Oregon Spotted Frog populations found in the Washington State. This pipeline project violates the Endangered Species Act and NEPA. Williams is using power granted to them by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to circumvent existing environmental and safety laws.

On October 10th, 2001, Duke Energy Corporation of North Carolina broke-ground on a $340 million natural gas-fired power plant in Satsop, WA in the shadow of two failed nuclear reactors. They do not yet have a pipeline to provide the fuel to produce the plant's potential of 650 megawatts. However, Williams Co., the company requesting permission to build 49-miles of 20-inch pipeline to serve the plant, already has a 30 year contract to supply Duke with natural gas. The power produced from the gas generators will be sold on the wholesale market, and will be exported. The Duke Energy plant will only create 27 jobs. From the perspective of those who wish to build a new power plant in Western Washington the contracts have been signed - it's a done deal. We disagree….

There have been recent revelations regarding the role that the nearly bankrupt Williams Company played in the recent California energy crisis. Ironically, FERC, the same Federal Agency that is allowing Williams to disregard existing environmental laws, is at the same time currently investigating the nearly bankrupt Williams Company because Williams manipulated power supplies and inflated prices during the California energy crisis (New York Times, June 12th, 2002). The investigation has put FERC on the verge of revoking the Williams Company’s right to sell power on the wholesale market (Houston Chronicle, June 5th, 2002).

This pipeline company is another Enron, and everybody knows it! Both Tulsa based Williams Co. and North Carolina based Duke Energy are currently being sued by the State of California for price manipulation. The Williams Co. is currently being sued by their stockholders, and employees, for Enron-like financial dealings. Duke Energy is being sued by the Dept. Of Justice for Clean Air Act violations. W

e cannot let these crooked companies get away with any of this! Join us in this fight!

Contact:
Cascadia Defense Network
fightthepipeline@olynetwork.org

If and when I see this in a more mainstream media outlet, or a more objective format, I will make a thread on it. (Unless another person beats me to it, that is.)

Thanks for more good news.

There are tons of Cut Throat trout around the coastal streams/rivers of Oregon, Washington and N. California. You just have to know how to catch and release them. It isn't hard as they are plentiful and not too smart. I have had days on the Chetco and other rivers when I wished that they were really scarce not all over the river/stream. I would be fishing for steelhead or salmon, and they would attack any fly they could wrap their lips around.

This was another bad science project cooked up by the enviral rats, Oregon Trout and the others who want to stop all fishing in every river in Oregon! If the Cut Throat was EPAed, that would basically stopped most steelhead and salmon fishing in Oregon's rivers. That is the goal of the anti human elites who run Oregon Natural Resources Council.

When do enviral whackos lie to Americans?

4 years ago during late October/early November I was trying to hook up with one of the big Kings going up the Chetco.

I must have caught and released 30 nice sized Cuts. They were striking size 4 and 2 salmon flies. I had to stop fishing as I was afraid that I would kill one with the big hook or the Teeny 300 sinking line dragging them after they struck.

One year later, I was back and thought I had hooked the skinniest Steelhead ever. It was about 24-26 inches long and beautiful. It jumped about 12 times and ran twice. I got him up and released him after I held him up by the tippet to show my wife. She had come down to watch the show.

Another fisher came up and asked me if I knew what I had I caught and released. I said a "Skinny Steelhead"?

He said no, that I had hooked and released a world class ocean cut. He showed me the drawing in the Oregon fishing rules/regs magazine. He suggested that I go elsewhere as I apparently hooked into a big breeder. We went back up to the Rogue for some steel header half pounders to catch and release.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.