Judge's Opinion May Be First Step in Lower Snake River Dam Removals

Ruling that the National Marine Fisheries Service may not “conduct the bulk of its jeopardy analysis in a vacuum,” a U.S. federal judge dismissed the idea that dams on the Snake river should be considered natural parts of the ecosystem and told the various agencies responsilble for salmon protection to come up with a better plan. The agencies had appealed a 2005 decision that said their plans did not comply with the Endangered Species Act.