Rep. Mike Simpson's Plan to Save Salmon Includes Removing Dams

Rep. Mike Simpson's Plan to Save Salmon Includes Removing Dams

SALMON.THAT'S THE 33BILLION DOLLARPROPOSAL FROMCONGRESSMAN MIKESIMPSON.SIMPSON IS CALLINGFOR THE REMOVALOF FOUR HYDRO-ELECTRIC DAMS ONTHE LOWER SNAKERIVER OVER THENEXT DECADE.THE PLAN IS PART OFTHECONGRESSMAN'SANSWER TO ADECADES-LONGPROBLEM OF HOWTO SAVE IDAHO'SDWINDLING SALMONAND STEELHEADPOPULATIONS.THE PROPOSAL ISCONTROVERSIAL INPART BECAUSE SOMANY PEOPLE RELYON THE DAMS FORELECTRICAL POWER.BUT SIMPSON'S PLANHAS SUPPORT FROMORGANIZATIONS LIKETHE IDAHOCONSERVATIONLEAGUE."WHETHER IT'STHROUGH FISH,WHETHER IT'STHROUGH ENERGYDEVELOPMENT,WHETHER IT'STHROUGHAGRICULTURALPROSPERITY THIS ISA VERYCOMPREHENSIVEPROPOSAL THAT ISFOR ALL OF THEPEOPLE OF THENORTHWEST, NOTJUST ANYONEINTEREST GROUP."OTHER LAWMAKERSARGUEHYDROPOWERGENERATED BYTHESE DAMSSHOULD BEPROTECTED.CONGRESSMANRUSS FULCHER SAYSTHE FOUR LOWERSNAKE RIVER DAMSPRODUCE ESSENTIALCARBON-FREEPOWER ANDPROVIDE FLOODCONTROL,RECREATION ANDCRITICALIRRIGATION....HE ADDS THE DAMSPROVIDE EFFICIENTROUTES FOR IDAHOEXPORTS AND THEFOCUS SHOULD BEON SOLUTIONS THATPRIORITIZE SALMONAND HUMAN NEEDS.IDAHO NEWS SIXHAS CAREFULLYTRACKED THIS ISSUEFOR YEARS.YOU CAN FIND ALLOUR MURROW-AWARD WINNINGCOVERAGE ON IDAHONEWS SIX DOT COM.