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4A – Daily News – Monday, April 25, 2011 Opinion The revival of Sacramento River salmon D NEWSAILY RED BLUFF TEHAMACOUNTY T H E V O I C E O F T E H A M A C O U N T Y S I N C E 1 8 8 5 Greg Stevens, Publisher gstevens@redbluffdailynews.com Chip Thompson, Editor editor@redbluffdailynews.com Editorial policy The Daily News opinion is expressed in the editorial. The opinions expressed in columns, letters and cartoons are those of the authors and artists. Letter policy The Daily News welcomes let- ters from its readers on timely topics of public interest. All let- ters must be signed and pro- vide the writer’s home street address and home phone num- ber. Anonymous letters, open letters to others, pen names and petition-style letters will not be allowed. Letters should be typed and cannot exceed two double-spaced pages or 500 words. When several letters address the same issue, a cross section of those submit- ted will be considered for publi- cation. Letters will be edited. Letters are published at the discretion of the editor. Mission Statement We believe that a strong com- munity newspaper is essential to a strong community, creating citizens who are better informed and more involved. The Daily News will be the indispensible guide to life and living in Tehama County. We will be the premier provider of local news, information and advertising through our daily newspaper, online edition and other print and Internet vehi- cles. The Daily News will reflect and support the unique identities of Tehama County and its cities; record the history of its com- munities and their people and make a positive difference in the quality of life for the resi- dents and businesses of Tehama County. How to reach us Main office: 527-2151 Classified: 527-2151 Circulation: 527-2151 News tips: 527-2153 Sports: 527-2153 Obituaries: 527-2151 Photo: 527-2153 On the Web www.redbluffdailynews.com Fax Newsroom: 527-9251 Classified: 527-5774 Retail Adv.: 527-5774 Legal Adv.: 527-5774 Business Office: 527-3719 Address 545 Diamond Ave. Red Bluff, CA 96080, or P.O. Box 220 Red Bluff, CA 96080 The California Fish and Game Commission had some wonderful news last Thursday when they laid out the guidelines for the 2011 sea- son. Sacramento River salmon fishing will be allowed this sum- mer between Anderson and Red Bluff for the first time in four years. Last year only a 22-day salmon season was allowed on the Sacramento River in October. “It's a terrific season,” said Harry Morse, spokesman for the Califor- nia Department of Fish and Game. Low salmon returns in 2007, 2008 and 2009 prompted the Fish and Game Commission to cancel salmon season on the Sacramento. A rebound in 2010 and projected healthy returns this year brought the revival. Department of Fish and Game biologists are expecting enough fish back for everyone to fish for them again however the Sacramento will remain closed to salmon fishing through Redding throughout the year. Anyone catching a salmon up there is sup- posed to cut the line and let it go. Here are the rules for when to legally catch the Sacramento salmon: o From Aug. 1 to Dec. 18 between the Deschutes Road bridge in Anderson and 500 feet upstream of the Red Bluff Diver- sion Dam. o From July 16 to Dec. 18 between 150 feet downstream of the Lower Red Bluff Boat Ramp to Knights Landing northwest of Sacramento. The closure upstream of the Deschutes Road Bridge helps pro- tect salmon spawning beds and the timing of the season is designed to help spring-run and winter-run Chinook salmon, which are both protected under the Endangered Species Act. The Fish and Game Commission opened a window for salmon fishing that focuses on the fall-run Chinook because of the typically higher number of fish than the other runs. The dates announced are close to what was a normal season on the Sacramento River in the past with the same start but ending about a month ear- lier than it did before the crash in salmon returns to prevent anglers from catching the winter-run Chi- nook. This is not only good news for anglers, and the salmon of course, but also for environmentalists, fisheries professionals and North state guides. Through difficult and often contentious battles with irri- gators, river users, and most notably the city of Red Bluff over the last three years we are now see- ing the fruits of the adjustments made to improve the aquatic health of the Sacramento and its tributaries. The future now seems bright where not long ago many wondered if the salmon runs could be maintained and still sat- isfy other demands upon the river. In the case of the river guides this meant taking clients to rivers as far away as Oregon to fish for salmon, where now they are glad to return to their home waters. In Red Bluff the gates of the Diversion dam have been permanently lifted and the construction of an irrigation water pumping facility is nearing com- pletion. Sadly we have lost the recreational benefits of Red Bluff Lake, but gladly we have regained a valuable sports fishing venue. The revival of the salmon is also a revival to local economies as people come to fish and pay for other things as well, like food, lodging, boat rentals and fishing supplies. It will be an economic boost all around for the whole community and speaks well of the environmental consciousness of the people in the North State. With Richard Mazzucchi Positive Point all the strains on our economy and food supplies of late it is wonderful to know that our efforts are helping to provide a local recre- ational and nutritional resource. Efforts to restore and protect salmon habitats on the Sacra- mento and its tribu- taries combine with upstream hatcheries and fisheries manage- ment to help ensure continued protection of valuable aquatic species. Poor ocean food conditions may also have caused the crash in salmon returns and scientists predict that as more food is available in the ocean more salmon should return to the Sacramento runs. To sustain our fisheries we must be cognizant of and ameliorate the many impacts that man and cli- mate change may invoke. I hope that you support these efforts and know that everyone can benefit from the revival of Sacramento River salmon. Richard Mazzucchi is a retired research engineer. He can be reached at living-green@att.net. Your officials STATE ASSEMBLYMAN — Jim Nielsen (R) State Capitol Bldg., Room 6031 Sacramento, CA 95814 (916) 319-2002; Fax (916) 319-2102 STATE SENATOR — Doug LaMalfa (R) State Capitol Bldg., Room 3070 Sacramento, CA 95814 (916) 651-4004; Fax (916) 445-7750 GOVERNOR — Jerry Brown, State Capitol Bldg., Sacramento, CA 95814; (916) 445-2841; Fax (916) 558-3160; E-mail: gover- nor@governor.ca.gov. U.S. REPRESENTATIVE — Wally Herger (R), 2635 Forest Ave. Ste. 100, Chico, CA 95928; 893-8363. U.S.SENATORS — Dianne Feinstein (D), One Post Street, Suite 2450, San Francisco, CA 94104; (415) 393-0707. Fax (415) 393-0710. Barbara Boxer (D), 1700 Montgomery St., Suite 240, San Francisco, CA 94111; (415) 403-0100. Fax (202) 224- 0454. Environmentalism and other myths exposed Commentary There’s always been something a little creepy about Earth Day. No, not the endearing scenes of chil- dren going through the obligatory motions of planting trees and pick- ing up trash on beaches. Everyone, including this curmudgeon, likes planting trees and picking up trash. Our property is full of trees I plant- ed; trash, having left nearby garbage cans or the hands of speeding, littering miscreants, is meticulously collected. It’s just that I know the ulterior motives and agendas permeating the annual rituals. Public opinion is swayed to look favorably upon any endeavors tied to "environmental- ism," "green (whatever)," or – the latest all-purpose irrefutable good thing – sustainability. In the first place, much of the movement is advanced by folks who say one thing while doing another — Al Gore, Arianna Huffington and enviro-saviors flying in private jets to global warming confabs. In the second place, the one- sided, glowing and unquestionable coverage induces moral certainty and absolutism, which prompts the green/left side to demonize and attack those, such as this writer, that offer any discouraging words. I’ve read the ad hominem attacks, and aspersions that conservatives just want us to breath pollution, cover the earth with toxic waste, clear cut the forests and foul the streams. No, not true. Try to stick with facts, please. The facts are: While our envi- ronment has vastly improved over many decades of thoughtful, rea- sonable laws and regulations, com- bined with citizen efforts, that’s not enough for the crusaders who advance an anti-human, anti-free- dom agenda under the guise of environmentalism. They also find that government regulations and mandates are more suitable than the wishes of our elected represen- tatives in advancing control of all they can lay their hands on. After all, who can or should question things done "for the environment," the latest permutation of "for the children." I’ll always remember a news show where journalist John Stossel asked a room of children if the environment was getting better or worse, if there were more forests or less, if water was getting cleaner or dirtier. The facts are that all is get- ting better, with more forests and cleaner water, but the kids thought just the opposite – because their teachers told them so. Such skulls full of mush grow up to cheer, with little critical examination, the claims of the afore-mentioned environmental saviors insisting that we comply with regulations – for our own good. Because, of course, we simply can’t be trusted to make our own decisions. I was listening over the week- end to a home improvement talk show, hosted by Gary Sullivan, with useful discussions related to troubleshooting problems and home repairs. He posed a question, framed by him, as to whether "Earth Day" was a liberal conspir- acy or about financial good sense. Of course, such false choices are typically offered by liberals for the purpose of tilting responders toward the supposedly reasonable alternative. He one-sidedly dis- cussed the general topic of envi- ronmentalism as a wallet-based issue: Why would we not wish to spend less for energy? The issue of mandated products and decision- making, accompanied by inconvenience and hid- den expenses, never came up. Examples to the con- trary: Is it in my wallet’s interest to be forced to buy expensive compact fluorescent bulbs, that don’t end up lasting as long as promised, that contain such toxic sub- stances that they must be meticulously handled to prevent breakage, and that require possibly expensive, certainly ardu- ous, measures to clean up if they do break? No! How about low-flow toilets that (in my experi- ence in homes so equipped) require multiple flushing while still not removing, uh, deposits, requir- ing hand cleaning of those, uh, deposits? No! Is it in my or anyone’s financial interests to have no economical, effective, top-loading clothes washer alternatives to the expen- sive, less effective front-loading varieties mandated by energy effi- ciency standards (Consumer Reports proved the above con- tentions)? No, and if you find a few items after starting a load, you’ll have to run another load because you can’t toss them in. Does it help my wallet to pay more for energy because of expensive, mandated "renewable energy portfolios" like windmills and solar? No! On a related front, your local Don Polson The way I see it Tea Party Patriots have been fight- ing misguided efforts to drive ranchers, some of whom winter in Tehama County, out of business by removing dams from the Klamath River. This will deprive these generations-old family ranches of water and electricity. It is part of a crusade by state and federal bureaucrats to scrub people and their productive enter- prises from areas that regulators wish to be more wilderness-like. Hence, Republican efforts to de-fund stud- ies by biologists pursu- ing an anti-people ide- ology derived from environmental extremism. Learn more on Tues- days at the grange at 6 p.m. So, it should only make (envi- ronmentally loony) sense that our National Forests are being scrubbed of we, the people. From "SavetheTrails.us" we have this: "We are currently facing the largest proposed closures of trails, roads, camping and public access in the history of the United States (including) up to 80 percent of the existing roads and trails … via inappropriate Wilderness Designa- tion." Earth Day vignettes don’t seem quite so benign now, do they? Don Polson has called Red Bluff home since 1988. He can be reached by e-mail at donplsn@yahoo.com.