Tri-City Herald's Opinion of the Columbia River Task Force

Tri-City Herald: Opinions: "Incoming Ecology Director Jay Manning and Gov. Christine Gregoire have been clear about their reluctance to adopt Locke's baby in its entirety. It's hard to blame them, since support was fragile and the opposition heated. Besides, neither had invested any political or psychic capital into the Columbia River Initiative. Gregoire's formation of the Columbia River Task Force, which is working to reach a consensus that's broad enough to survive the political vagaries in Olympia, isn't necessarily a bad move. It was especially encouraging earlier this year to hear the new administration expressing interest in retaining some of the most promising pieces of Locke's plan. The initiative's aim -- to leave enough water in the Columbia River system to help federally protected fish and meet the needs of farmers and communities -- will have to be the foundation of any future compromise. Even then, Gregoire and Manning are guaranteed to take some flack. They might as well get used to it. "