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<p class=MsoNormal><span class=apple-style-span><b><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-weight:bold'>Members
of Congress and Fishing Community to Protest Bush Administration's Flawed
Salmon Policy</span></font></b></span><span class=apple-style-span><font
face=Arial><span style='font-family:Arial'> </span></font></span><font
face=Arial><span style='font-family:Arial'><br>
</span></font><span class=apple-style-span><b><i><span style='font-weight:bold;
font-style:italic'>Thompson to Unveil Federal Disaster Assistance Legislation</span></i></b></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:7.5pt;
margin-left:0in'><b><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt;font-weight:bold'><br>
<span class=apple-style-span>April 20, 2006 </span></span></font></b><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:7.5pt;
margin-left:0in'><span class=apple-style-span><b><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-weight:bold'>CONTACT:
Matt Gerien (202) 225-3311</span></font></b></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:7.5pt;
margin-left:0in'><st1:City w:st="on"><span class=apple-style-span><b><font
size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-weight:bold'>SAN
FRANCISCO</span></font></b></span></st1:City><span class=apple-style-span><b><font
color=blue><span style='color:blue;font-weight:bold'> </span></font>-<font
color=blue><span style='color:blue'> </span></font></b>Hundreds of commercial,
recreational and tribal salmon fishermen will join Bay Area Reps. Mike
Thompson, George Miller and Lynn Woolsey on Monday, April 24th at Pier 47 in <st1:City
w:st="on">San Francisco</st1:City> for a rally protesting the Bush
Administration's flawed <st1:place w:st="on">Klamath River</st1:place> salmon
policies that have led to slashed salmon seasons. Thompson will also be
unveiling legislation to provide federal disaster assistance for the fishing
communities impacted by the near closure of this year's season. </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:7.5pt;
margin-left:0in'><span class=apple-style-span><b><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-weight:bold'>WHO:
Reps. Mike Thompson, George Miller, Lynn Woolsey, hundreds of commercial,
recreational and tribal fisherman from throughout the west coast </span></font></b></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:7.5pt;
margin-left:0in'><span class=apple-style-span><b><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-weight:bold'>WHAT:
The introduction of federal disaster assistance legislation and salmon fishing
groups and Members of Congress rally to Protest the Bush Administration's
mismanagement of the <st1:place w:st="on">Klamath River</st1:place> and.</span></font></b></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:7.5pt;
margin-left:0in'><span class=apple-style-span><b><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-weight:bold'>WHEN:
Monday, April 24, 2006, 10:00am</span></font></b></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:7.5pt;
margin-left:0in'><span class=apple-style-span><b><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-weight:bold'>WHERE:
Pier 47 in Front of Scoma's Restaurant, <st1:address w:st="on"><st1:Street
w:st="on">Al Scoma Way</st1:Street>, <st1:City w:st="on">San Francisco</st1:City>,
<st1:State w:st="on">CA</st1:State> <st1:PostalCode w:st="on">94113</st1:PostalCode></st1:address></span></font></b></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:7.5pt;
margin-left:0in'><span class=apple-style-span><b><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-weight:bold'>**Note
to assignment editors: Salmon fishermen will be mooring their boats in the
basin behind Pier 47 as part of the protest. West coast fishing groups will
also have a 30-foot inflatable salmon, large banners and other displays on the
pier. </span></font></b></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:7.5pt;
margin-left:0in'><span class=apple-style-span><b><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-weight:bold'>Background
Information:</span></font></b></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:7.5pt;
margin-left:0in'><span class=apple-style-span><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>In 2002, the Bush
administration's water diversions on the <st1:place w:st="on">Klamath River</st1:place>
resulted in a record fish kill that claimed 80,000 adult salmon the next fall.
Experts have directly attributed the adult fish kill and a parasitic infection
affecting spring juveniles, resulting from poor federal management of the
river, as being responsible for the low salmon returns estimated for this year.
</span></font></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p style='mso-margin-top-alt:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:7.5pt;
margin-left:0in'><span class=apple-style-span><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>The Pacific Fisheries
Management Council recommended on April 6, 2006, that the 2006 salmon season be
drastically reduced. The decision will severely affect ocean and in-river
salmon fisheries along 700 miles of coastline, from <st1:City w:st="on">Point
Falcon</st1:City>, <st1:State w:st="on">Oregon</st1:State> to <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Big Sur</st1:City>, <st1:State w:st="on">California</st1:State></st1:place>.
The economic impact to coastal communities is expected to be devastating. The
direct impact on commercial and recreational fisheries is estimated to exceed
$100 million.</span></font></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><st1:PersonName w:st="on"><em><i><font size=3 color=gray
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'>Byron
Leydecker</span></font></i></em></st1:PersonName><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><font size=3 color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'>Chair, Friends of <st1:place w:st="on">Trinity
River</st1:place></span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><font size=3 color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'>Advisor, California Trout, Inc</span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><st1:address w:st="on"><st1:Street w:st="on"><em><i><font
size=3 color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
color:gray'>PO Box</span></font></i></em></st1:Street><em><i><font
color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span style='color:gray'> 2327</span></font></i></em></st1:address><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on"><em><i><font
size=3 color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;
color:gray'>Mill Valley</span></font></i></em></st1:City><em><i><font
color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span style='color:gray'>, <st1:State w:st="on">CA</st1:State>
<st1:PostalCode w:st="on">94942-2327</st1:PostalCode></span></font></i></em></st1:place><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><font size=3 color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'>415 383 4810 ph</span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><font size=3 color=gray face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:gray'>415 383 9562 fx</span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><a href="mailto:bwl3@comcast.net"><i><span style='font-style:italic'>bwl3@comcast.net</span></i></a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><a href="mailto:bleydecker@stanfordalumni.org"><i><span
style='font-style:italic'>bleydecker@stanfordalumni.org</span></i></a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><a href="http://www.fotr.org"><i><span style='font-style:italic'>http://www.fotr.org</span></i></a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><em><i><u><font size=3 color=blue face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:blue'>http:www.caltrout.org</span></font></u><font
color=lime><span style='color:lime'> </span></font></i></em><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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