Idaho Power "willing" to Negotiate on Salmon...

[JoseCuervo]

Kind of funny how after losing their appeals, and claiming they would not discuss Salmon above the Hells Canyon dams, they now seem to be "willing" as they realize their entire license is being held.....

Idaho Power Co. says it's ready to negotiate possible changes to operations at its Hells Canyon Dams to protect endangered and threatened species.

The offer to settle many of the contentious issues related to the dams — including concerns about how dam operations are impacting threatened or endangered steelhead and salmon — was introduced at a meeting in Boise on Thursday with Federal Energy Regulatory Commission staff members and other interested parties.

Idaho Power senior attorney James Tucker said the company is prepared to negotiate changes to the current operations that could go into effect later this year or early next year.

In addition to the current license, Tucker said Idaho Power also hopes to reach an agreement on the terms of the new license that the company is now requesting from FERC.

"We are committed to participate in this process to reach an agreement for operations now and into the future," Tucker said.

This latest offer comes just a few months after environmental groups won a key court decision that required FERC to consult with National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration Fisheries to ensure that the current operations at the three Hells Canyon dams do not jeopardize the continued existence of threatened or endangered species.

Such a review is already under way in the company's application to relicense the three dams now pending before FERC.

The company's current 50-year licenses to operate the three dams were granted in 1955, before the establishment of the Endangered Species Act, but the groups said the act required that the existing licenses be reviewed to see if operations were harming threatened or endangered fish.

Thursday's meeting was meant to start a review of the company's current license to see what changes should be made.

FERC staff member Tim Welch said Thursday that the commission would welcome a settlement on the issues, but he said such settlement discussions wouldn't replace the ongoing licensing process underway.

He also cautioned that FERC would want to see some progress being made by next spring on a settlement or they would likely move to end the process.

Idaho Power's offer to try and reach a settlement has the support of NOAA Fisheries and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and on Thursday those agencies stressed that no one would be excluded from settlement talks.

"We want to make sure that everybody who has an interest can come to the table and have those interests represented," said Frank Wilson, an attorney with the U.S. Department of Interior.

Thursday's meeting was attended by representatives of environmental groups, water-user groups, Indian tribes and state and local officials from Idaho and Oregon.

The relationship between many of the groups and Idaho Power has been contentious in the past. Many of the groups were involved in a collaboration effort with Idaho Power from 1996 to 2002 to help develop the company's relicensing application. But that collaboration fell apart after a disagreement between the company and the groups over the sharing of information related to fish issues at the dam.

Sara Eddie, an attorney representing Idaho Rivers United, said based on that experience, they were "cautiously optimistic" about reaching a settlement.

At the meeting, Eddie said Idaho Rivers would have to be confident in Idaho Power's motives before committing to a settlement process.

Tucker said the company is very aware of the "daunting task" of trying to reach a settlement that everyone can agree on.

"We all understand that," Tucker said, "but we think it's a doable task and something we want to engage in."

 

[Calif. Hunter]

Is the FERC a Federal agency under Bush?

 

[JoseCuervo]

I didn't realize anybody OTHER than Bush could be the head of the Federal Govenrment.....Wow!

 

[Calif. Hunter]

Here is at least one topic where you have stated that Bush is basically killing off all the salmon -

http://www.huntandlodge.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=31;t=003125

another one -
http://www.huntandlodge.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=31;t=003153

wait - another one

http://www.huntandlodge.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=31;t=003152


So is Bush really anti-salmon or not?

 

[JoseCuervo]

So who else would be in charge of the Federal government, if not Dubya????

You're kinda not making much sense here....

Are you thinking Dubya isn't ruining Fishing in the North West? Are you trying to imply that he is not obligated to enforce the laws of this nation, vis a vis, the ESA?

 

[Calif. Hunter]

I do not know, since I do not follow the status of salmon that much. But since Bush gets all the blame for everything the Federal government does, I was just wondering if he would get any credit when they do something right.

 

[JoseCuervo]

With regards to Salmon, unless you know something I don't know, we will never know if Dubya should get any credit for doing something right, as he has NEVER done anything right by the Salmon.

Please explain otherwise, if you know.

Do you somehow think the FERC is doing something right??? And that is why Idaho Power is "willing" to negotiate?