That's their fish plan for now. Oregon Gov. John Kitzhaber last week joined environmental activists in calling on the BPA to skip the payment to avoid risking harm to the fish, but that's a long shot. Skipping the payment would open the BPA to criticism from members of Congress from other parts of the country who already view the hydropower project as federal largess to the Northwest. We have financial reserves, which are being drawn down. It turns out he's wrong.
Environmentalists vow to continue their fight if the salmon runs keep declining.
Meanwhile, Indian tribes that rely on the Columbia and Snake salmon catches will look to the BPA for some immediate moves to help the fish. They say the agency has made a lot of money selling electricity to California at stratospheric prices, and they advocate spending those earnings for salmon-recovery projects. We will not be bought off by some token offer. Let's rebuild this Mother Earth.