For over a century, salmon technocrats (fisheries scientists and kindred technical experts) have played an important role in Pacific Northwest salmon policy, but their involvement has caused them and others discomfort. The discomfort is summarized by the following observations: (1) the public, apparently, supports maintaining wild salmon runs, (2) there are competing societal priorities, many of which are partially or wholly mutually exclusive, (3) increasing numbers of people in the Pacific Northwest create additional pressures on all ecological resources (including wild salmon), (4) policy positions in the salmon policy debate are entrenched, (5) society expects salmon technocrats to help solve the salmon problem, (6) each of the many sides of the policy debate attempts to utilize salmon technocrats to bolster its argument, (7) it has proved nearly impossible for salmon technocrats to avoid being categorized as supporting a particular policy position, and (8) many policy advocates frame their policy views in scientific terms rather than value-based preferences. Involvement with salmon policy can be the professional undoing of a salmon technocrat unless his proper role is understood. From a technocrat's perspective, and in order to survive professionally, I propose several rules: (1) be honest, (2) focus on science, (3) accept that politicians covet legitimacy, (4) recognize that framing the policy question largely defines the analytical outcome, (5) avoid the allure of junk science and policy babble, (6) concede that societal values and priorities evolve, and (7) avoid technical and scientific hubris

Cooperation among waste generators to co-compost institutional, agricultural, and municipal solid waste can balance carbon: nitrogen ratios, yield a value-added product, and ultimately reduce solid waste disposal nationally. A study was conducted to determine concentrations of indicator bacteria and other bacteria in compost components, immature compost, and cured compost. Compost components included pulped institutional food waste, newsprint, farm animal waste, and municipal landscape waste. Carbon:nitrogen ratios were balanced (mean = 30:1) through cooperative co-composting of institutional and agricultural waste with municipal landscape waste. Compost windrows were mechanically turned an average of 15 times during 60-days of composting, reaching highest internal mean temperatures of 62° C. Raw food waste, animal waste, immature and cured compost samples were collected aseptically and analyzed for total and fecal coliform, Enterococci, Staphylococci, and heterotrophic bacteria using standard culturing techniques. Initial indicator bacterial concentrations of 4–8 log10 colony forming units (cfu) per milliliter (ml−1) or gram (g−1) dry weight recovered from animal waste and 2–3 log10 cfu g−1 dry weight recovered from raw food waste were reduced to below the detection limit of approximately 20 cfu g−1 dry weight in all compost samples analyzed. Staphylococci and heterotrophic bacteria concentrations recovered from immature compost samples were also reduced in cured compost. Results indicated that cooperative waste composting reduced culturable indicator bacteria concentrations in compost samples analyzed. Results suggested that cooperative solid waste composting may reduce environmental health concerns associated with institutional, agricultural, and municipal wastes, while generating a value-added soil amendment and reducing solid waste volume.