Ian Brickey, ian.brickey@sierraclub.org
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, the Biden Administration released a highly anticipated plan to restore salmon populations in the Columbia River Basin. The plan comes a month after the White House identified salmon recovery as a top priority for the administration.
Under the plan the Biden Administration will work closely with Tribes and invest billions into clean energy development and infrastructure in the Pacific Northwest, creating a roadmap to replace the services and eventually remove the four Lower Snake River dams.
The four dams on the lower Snake River have harmed salmon populations in the region for decades. In recent years, those population numbers have approached extinction levels, depriving Southern Resident Killer Whales of a vital food source and denying Tribes of treaty rights to salmon, which are important both for food and for Tribal cultural practices.
The Biden Administration has identified healthy and abundant salmon populations in the Pacific Northwest as a federal priority. In 2023, the administration committed $200 million to reintroducing salmon in the Upper Columbia, issued a presidential memorandum directing federal agencies to take necessary actions to recover salmon abundance and uphold treaty and trust responsibilities, and included funding in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and Inflation Reduction Act to restore salmon in Washington State and across the Northwest.
In response, Sierra Club Executive Director Ben Jealous, released the following statement:
“President Biden has laid out a roadmap that can recover salmon populations from the brink of extinction to thriving abundance.
“For thousands of years, Pacific Northwest salmon have supported the ecosystems of the Columbia River Basin, the orcas that rely on them, and the Tribes who have stewarded these lands and waters for millennia. For years, those Tribes have been united in calling for action to save salmon, and today, our leaders finally listened to their voices.
“The science is clear, for salmon populations to thrive, the Snake River dams must come down. We thank President Biden for presenting a plan that moves dam breaching forward by replacing their services with clean energy Pacific Northwest communities can rely on, and restores this vital way of life for local Tribes. We urge the administration to continue to work with elected officials, community stakeholders, and Tribes to finish the job and put this plan into action with the urgency that is needed.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.