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Salmon Recovery: The Reckoning by Gabriel Finch The Oregonian, February 20, 2011

I appreciated reading Paul VenDevelder's opinion piece highlighting attempts to suppress science in the management of the Columbia and Snake rivers ("The reckoning," Feb. 13). In the long term, suppression of scientific evidence has repercussions beyond just tarnishing federal agencies. Manipulated salmon science leads to misinformed and flawed salmon policy. Resulting salmon declines make for lost jobs in our region. And this pretty well sums up the federal track record of the past two decades in the Columbia and Snake rivers. The fact that one of Oregon's own, NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco, is caught up in this mess adds insult to injury.

The people of the Northwest deserve a part in the discussion of how to move our region toward a solution that recovers salmon while protecting communities. And we deserve a chance to let science, not politics and manipulation, guide our decisions. The Obama administration hasn't yet given us that chance.