Two significant positives happened recently in the campaign to restore the Snake River and those who rely on it – including salmon, Tribes, local communities, and more.
First, Senator Murray (WA) and Governor Inslee (WA) issued a statement Friday, October 22nd on next steps for a joint federal-state process on salmon recovery in the Columbia River Basin and the Pacific Northwest, where they will be analyzing replacement of services provided by the lower Snake River dams. This is a first for elected leaders in Washington State. While dam removal is not a foregone conclusion of the process they announced, it is squarely on the table, and a primary focus. Sen. Murray and Gov. Inslee are aiming to conclude the process and release recommendations no later than July 31st, 2022.
Our Oregon Senators Wyden and Merkley issued a statement in support of the Murray/Inslee process.
Second, the litigation against the Federal Agencies' Biological Opinion and the Columbia Power System operation has been stayed until July, 31 2022. Plaintiffs – including the State of Oregon, the Nez Perce Tribe, Sierra Club & other conservation organizations – reached temporary agreement with Federal Agencies and the Biden Administration to pause court proceedings. As part of the agreement, 2022 river operations will improve relative to this year's operation, with more spill over the dams on the lower Snake River dams and lower Columbia River dams.
The Biden Administration also committed to work with plaintiffs to see if we can reach agreement on a comprehensive plan for recovering Snake River salmon. Removing the four lower Snake River dams will be an active part of this discussion as well. This correlates with the first announcement: if a favorable decision of dam removal is reached in these discussions, the issues in the case will have been resolved. Moreover, the Biden Administration is now involved and – for the first time in 25 years of litigation – senior representatives from Department of the Interior (DOI), Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE), Department of Energy (DOE), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) are part of discussions on river restoration.
These two announcements provide a unique opportunity to forge a comprehensive solution and legal settlement to restore the Snake River, its salmon, and meet treaty right responsibilities. We are at a significant inflection point where senior leaders from all three Northwest states – Sen. Murray and Gov. Inslee (WA), Rep. Simpson (ID), and Gov. Brown and Rep. Blumenauer (OR) are all committed to securing a comprehensive solution, and that dam removal is either supported by them (Rep. Simpson, Rep. Blumenauer, and Gov. Brown) or actively being considered. And, we have an engaged Biden Administration that sees this issue as important for meeting treaty right responsibilities, restoring natural resources, and making investments in clean energy. We're in a new zone of opportunity.
Please take a moment to call both Senators Wyden and Merkley and urge them to work with Senator Murray on their process to restore the Snake River. The most important components of the effort must be:
- To center the Tribes in the leadership of this effort and assure we honor our treaties.
- To reach a decision that includes removing the lower Snake River dams so that dam removal can be authorized in 2022. Congress must be able to act next year to advance the comprehensive solution and secure necessary funding.
- To set a timetable for removing the dams that matches the urgency of the extinction crisis. There is no reason the dams cannot be breached and the investment made to replace their services by no later than 2027.
Senator Wyden: 202-224-5244; 503-326-7525
Senator Merkley: 202-224-3753; 503-326-7525