A few million for Yukon salmon failure?

The Senate Appropriations Committee yesterday included $5 million in a spending bill as disaster relief for the poor Chinook salmon runs on the Yukon River in 2008 and 2009.

Sen. Mark Begich, D-Alaska, had asked the committee leadership for up to $10.8 million "for assistance to residents of the Yukon River drainage."

This potential aid outlay follows up Commerce Secretary Gary Locke's disaster declaration back in January.

Just how the $5 million would be divvied up, assuming that's the amount the full Congress ultimately appropriates, remains an open question.