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Argument on Dams Convincing by Kevin O'Brien The Oregonian, January 10, 2005

Thank you for publishing the Commentary article by former Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt about the future of salmon in this region ("Time to remove the dams," Jan. 4).

We need real leadership on our most pressing environmental issues. Babbitt makes a convincing argument that dismantling the dams on the Snake River would lead to more jobs, not fewer.

Also, he argues that the farmers who are saving 3 cents to 7 cents per bushel of grain shipped along the river can and should be compensated for the higher cost of shipping by rail if the dams are taken down.

Healthy salmon populations are important to the health of this region, and the Bush administration's policies of barging, trucking and otherwise steering the salmon around the dams don't lead us in the right direction. Thanks to Babbitt for having the courage to say what needed to be said.