Mason letter: Salmon recovery
A U.S. District Court has ordered a full federal review to examine the facts and options for restoring endangered Snake River salmon. To inform this process, it may prove worthwhile to examine other successful recovery efforts. When bringing back the once endangered Peregrine Falcon and Bald Eagle, key to success was eliminating the leading cause of the decline. Removing DDT from the landscape was pivotal to the recovery of these raptors. Without that step, mitigation of lesser issues would not have been enough to save the species. Today both of these iconic raptors have been recovered. If the dams on the Lower Snake River are determined to be the primary barrier facing salmon recovery in Idaho, their removal should be a top priority.
Tate Mason, Boise
This story was originally published January 16, 2017 at 5:36 PM with the headline "Mason letter: Salmon recovery."