Seen a Rogue on the loose? Get in touch with our Roguemeister: JOHN SCHRAG jschrag@wweek.com (503) 243-2122 FAX: (503) 243-1115 Last week, blubber-huggers blasted the Makah Indians for harpooning a gray whale near Neah Bay, Wash. But the real damage that Native Americans inflicted upon sea creatures occurred--virtually unnoticed--in Salem. Last week, the Republican majority pushed forward House Bill 3609. This proposal, which has already passed out of a joint subcommittee, would gut the authority of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and, in so doing, threaten the already troubled species of steelhead and salmon that ply the Columbia River. Specifically, the bill would exempt Oregon tributaries above the Bonneville Dam from restrictions on the number of hatchery fish that can be released in those areas. The bill is backed by the Warm Springs, Nez Perce and Umatilla tribes. The tribes' short-term economic goal is clear--to increase their harvest of salmon and steelhead. The problem is that the bill would cause long-term damage to these species. Hatchery fish weaken the genetic stock of wild fish, which is why the state has sought to limit hatchery releases for almost two decades. HB 3609 is opposed by Oregon Trout, the Oregon Chapter of the American Fisheries Society, the Native Fish Society and the Oregon chapter of the Sierra Club. Undaunted, the tribes are getting help from former congresswoman Elizabeth Furse, who went to Salem last week to persuade fellow Democrats that this bill deserves passage on the floors of the House and Senate. It doesn't. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Willamette Week | originally published May 26, 1999