Parakeet, Spotted Owl, Salmon!

Every now and then the environmental movement wraps its might around an icon that they say exemplifies fair and just environmental commitments. This is akin to the parakeet in coal mines to warn workers of impending doom due to build up of toxic gases. And so is the salmon in the northwest. It's essentially a food fish that migrates from fresh water streams down rivers to the Pacific Ocean where it feeds and frolics for several years doing what salmon do until it returns in the last days of its life to spawn and die back home in the same fresh water streams and creeks.

What makes salmon such a hot commodity for enviro-extremists is that once its placed on the "endangered species list," any and all land near flowing and even not any more flowing brooks, creeks, and streams, as well as rivers and salt water can be controlled by the extremists.

The endangered designation provides for extreme protection of "critical habitat" where salmon are, or can, or might some day, or once did, spawn. In high precipitation areas such as the northwest, that's about 80% to 90% of all land west of the Cascade mountains. This is on top of "wetland" protections that control any land that has standing water for any period of time and where grass grows beyond minimum heights.

Combine wet land and critical habitat protections and it's lights out for development and economic activity. The enviro-extremists have now successfully stopped property use without spending a cent. Subsequently they control all road construction; economic expansion; housing; recreating; and any other land use that might not fit their view of society.

The Bush administration is stepping into the fray by moderating property control by articulating clearly which environmental protections actually enhance successful salmon reproduction. This sounds pretty regressive to the enviro-warriors who fight for control of all land. Makes me believe that salmon reproduction is not actually as critical as controlling property use is.

Today's Seattle Post Intelligencer's OPED section features a column by Mark Trahant lamenting the loss of "critical habitat" due to this administration's review of the language. Moderating and improving critical protection language is more likely to strengthen salmon recovery than just shotgunning restrictions at all of society. It seems to me that greater focus on scientifically identified critical habitat and on other proven strategies can be achieved once the fluff in the process is removed.