Secretary of the Interior Cecil D. Andrus pledged the full cooperation of his Department in carrying out the five-year plan for the allocation of Columbia River fish runs which was announced today.
"I want to extend my earnest personal congratulations to all those who have worked so effectively to achieve this equitable solution to the volatile situations arising from the implementation of the mandates of the courts on Indian fishing rights," Secretary Andrus said.
"As Governor of Idaho, I worked with Governor Robert Straub of Oregon and Governor Dan Evans of Washington to develop a solution which would carry out the court decisions fairly for all concerned. As Secretary of the Interior, I am directing the Departments affected agencies to lend their full support in assuring the agreement is carried out in a manner which effectively harmonizes the treaty fishing rights of the Indian tribes with the right of the States to protect and conserve the valuable fisheries in the Columbia River."
The tentative agreement which was announced by the States of Washington and Oregon, the four treaty tribes (Warm Spring, Yakima, Umatilla and Nez Perce), and the Department of the interior, provide that the tribes will be entitled to 60 percent of the harvest of fall Chinook salmon.
The plan also provides that the tribes will forgo commercial harvest of summer steelhead.
The plan also provides for the establishment of a technical advisory committee to develop data and to make recommendations to insure that agreed upon allocations are realized. Each tribe will be represented and the Interior Department will be represented by its Fish and Wildlife Service. Other members of the committee will include representatives of the State of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho and the Marine Fisheries Service of the Department of Commerce.
Secretary Andrus noted that the tribes' allocation of 60 percent of the Chinook salmon run exceeds the 50 percent formula in court decrees and takes into account the heavy off-shore non- Indian harvest of the run.
“As trustee for our Indian citizens, I am personally gratified by the manner in which the plan was announced today protects their treaty rights,” Secretary Andrus said.
