June 2003

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Three years ago, the Governors of Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington released a landmark series of consensus policy recommendations for protection and restoration of fish in the Columbia River Basin.

Issued in July 2000, the Four Governors' Recommendations for the Protection and Restoration of Fish in the Columbia River Basin (2000 Recommendations) acknowledged a broad regional responsibility and commitment to fish and wildlife recovery. We also sought to provide useful guidance to federal decision-makers and federal action agencies.

Since we made our earlier recommendations, we have seen significant new pressures on the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) stemming from the 2001 drought and the high power prices that year, with lingering regionwide price impacts including increases in power rates to BPA customers.

In the Columbia River Basin, fish and wildlife are inextricably linked to the hydropower system, which provides a majority of the electricity produced in the region. This statement builds upon our 2000 Recommendations and goes further to address Columbia River system issues important to all Northwest citizens. We hereby make the following specific policy recommendations on the resolution of issues related to the operation of the Federal Columbia River Power System (FCRPS), including the role of the region's federal power marketing agency, the BPA.