US protections for Idaho salmon, steelhead are here to stay

By KEITH RIDLER
Associated Press

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A five-year review by U.S. officials has determined that Endangered Species Act protections for ocean-going salmon and steelhead that reproduce in the Snake River and its Idaho tributaries must stay in effect. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s fisheries division review released Thursday found that steelhead, spring and summer chinook, sockeye and fall chinook that return to Idaho on rivers from the Pacific Ocean should retain current government protections. The agency says threats from climate change increase the urgency improving fish passage at hydropower dams and restoring fish habitats. The protections limit fishing and how dams are operated on the Columbia and Snake rivers.