Rather, the ideological split has grown as dam-breaching supporters who once called for science to settle the question now choose to ignore research that suggests tearing down dams does not provide the timely remedies needed to save salmon already on the brink of extinction. Clearly, the four dams on the lower Snake River are a political, not a scientific, target. Environmental groups are bulldozing ahead. They portray the demise of the dams as the panacea denied the fish-loving people of the Northwest by politicians who don't have the guts to do the right thing. When federal agencies charged with studying salmon recovery have acknowledged that dam breaching may not be the answer, environmentalists have accused them of bowing to political pressure.
Environmentalists are entrenched and a journey back to middle ground seems unlikely.
More than ever, the steps we will take toward saving salmon will create winners and losers. The players who are sincerely concerned with finding workable solutions must forge ahead without zealots who would stymie the process for a political score. As 2000 dawns, the potential for many more is even greater. After key changes in management and among contractors in the past year, Hanford has a headstart on kicking cleanup into high gear. There are, however, several things in 2000 needed to keep cleanup on an efficient and credible path that will attract adequate funding in critical years ahead.