Cowlitzfisherman -
I sorry but doubt that I can answer your questions to your satisfaction. It requires some detail knowledge of the settlement, the negotations, and fishries details of the basin. This is especially true in something as unfathomable as the FERC licensing process. I have little direct knoweldge of mititation issues; my knowledge tends to be limited to fish/fishries biology, behavior, managment, and North Puget Sound issues.

From your comments the establishment of self-sustaing anadromous populations in upper basins seem to hinge on upstream passage. You seem particularly concern that Koeings did not accept a lowering of the passage success criteria -

"We had a two hour meeting with Jeff Koenings last night regarding aproposed change in the upstream fish passage triggers (changing fromself-sustaining levels of coho and either spring chinook or late winter steelhead to at least one indigenous anadromous fish stock). " quote from the AG email you posted.

With the limited information you have provided it appears to me that Koeings rejected using have one anadromous species at self-sustianing levels as a trigger for success to have both a fall migrating (coho) and a spring migrating species (either spring chinook or late steelhead) doing well. Implicit in that position is that upstream passage facilities is "working" under both fall and spring river conditions. I for one would also be more comfortable that the declaration of success is dependent on multiple species success rather than just one. If both coho and late steelhead or spring chinook are making it then other species should also have a chance at self-sufficiency.

While I appreciate and respect your deep dedication on this and other issues, your willingness to share your observations and opinions and detailed information that you continue to provide I'm not sure that the story as filtered through your eyes is always the "real story". Your position helps to clarify the issues and helps with each of us deciding for ourselves the "real story".

I will choose to ignore your "rat" editorial comments/question.

Tight lines
Smalma