Washington, DC. - Idaho Senator Jim Risch issued the following statement after the Administration's court filing on the Federal Columbia River Power System Biological Opinion:

"Over the past decade we have seen positive signs that habitat improvement and other efforts are working to restore salmon and steelhead in the Northwest. The new Administration's support of the current BiOp Plan is welcome news. I agree with the president that we should do everything we can to save salmon before anyone even considers a discussion of dam breaching. The recovery plan negotiated by the many groups with a stake in viable salmon populations should be allowed to move forward. A discussion of breaching at this point is divisive and frustrates efforts we all agree upon. Collaboration has brought us to this positive point in salmon recovery and must continue if we truly want to see healthy and sustainable salmon and steelhead populations."

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