12/15/05 Lawsuit filed over salmon counts

A coalition of property owners in Idaho and three other states is questioning the way the federal government counts salmon populations to determine their listing under the Endangered Species Act. Russell Brooks of the Pacific Legal Foundation just filed the lawsuit in US District Court at Eugene, Oregon to force the NOAA Fisheries to do what it should have done after a lawsuit in 2001. BROOKS "Despite claiming that it agreed with that 2001 decision and would comply with that decision NOAA Fisheries instead is simply doing business as usual. It is still making illegal distinctions between hatchery salmon and naturally spawning salmon." Federal Judge Michael Hogan told fishery managers four years ago to consider hatchery fish when determining whether wild stocks were threatened or endangered. BROOKS "We're asking the court for an order that the salmon listings, 16 of them, are illegal." The Idaho Water Users, Pioneer Irrigation, Farm Bureau, the Coalition for Idaho Water and State Senator Skip Brandt are part of the coalition represented by Brooks' legal organization in this lawsuit. Voice of Idaho Agriculture Bill Scott