By Marc Sullivan, Vice Chair, Washington Chapter Sierra Club and Bill Arthur, Chair, Snake/Columbia River Salmon Campaign
On July 7th and 8th, Northwest Tribes convened an inspiring and well-attended Salmon and Orca Summit. Senior Campaign Representative, Alex Craven and Marc Sullivan, the Washington Chapter Vice Chair, were among the crew of activists who greeted summit attendees on the first day with banners and inflatable orcas and salmon, in an expression of solidarity and support. After the banner waving and greetings, we were invited to observe the summit proceedings.
Day 1 featured statements from leaders of every tribe in attendance, followed by an impressive speech by Idaho Rep. Mike Simpson. Representative Simpson’s bold, comprehensive proposal to breach the four lower Snake dams and make big investments in the Northwest future, has transformed the regional conversation about salmon, orca and dams.
Day 2 showcased some notable statements from Northwest leaders:
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Oregon Gov. Kate Brown and Rep. Earl Blumenauer reiterated their support for the framework offered by Rep. Simpson.
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Washington Gov. Jay Inslee appeared live from the governor’s mansion and told the delegates, “We should be committed to getting down to business to determine what can provide the services these dams provide, so we can define how to replace these services so we can build support in our communities for taking the next steps in the dam breaching discussion.”
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Sen. Murray’s state director, Shawn Bills, read a supportive statement from the region’s senior senator. Suquamish Tribe Chairman Leonard Forsman, President of the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians spoke about a new resolution.
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ATNI’s 57 member tribes unanimously adopted a strong resolution calling for restoration of a free-flowing lower Snake River
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The National Congress of American Indians (chaired by the Quinault Tribe’s Fawn Sharp) put forth a resolution for a second summit to be held, this time in Washington, D.C. The full ATNI resolution was read, clause by clause, by a series of tribal leaders, to powerful and moving effect.
The conclusion of the summit demonstrated the Northwest tribes’ strong leadership for salmon, orca and restoring the Snake River. We felt that it was a strong inflection point on the continued effort to build a solution that removes the lower Snake River dams and invests in salmon recovery broadly. The proposed summit called for in the NCAI resolution in Washington, D. C. will bring this issue and the struggle for justice to our nation's capital. We will support this effort and report on ways to engage.
Further Legal Action to Seek Emergency Help for Snake River Salmon
On the heels of the Salmon Orca Summit, EarthJustice filed a motion for injunctive relief in federal district court for Snake River salmon on behalf of a set of NGO’s including the Sierra Club. The injunction is part of our overall strategy to challenge the latest federal agency salmon recovery plan as unlawful and unable to recover Snake River salmon. The agency plan is a rehash of the previous plans that the court has found inadequate and illegal. Federal agencies need to develop a scientifically sound and legal valid plan in order to help salmon and encourage public officials to develop a comprehensive plan that works. A similar request was also filed by the state of Oregon and the Nez Perce Tribe (article: Lawsuit seeks more spill over Columbia Basin dams for salmon | The Seattle Times.)
The motion seeks to aid young fish migrating down the river in healthier conditions by calling for more spill (water over the dams) and for drawing down the reservoirs on the lower Snake and Columbia River. The spill and reservoir drawdown will provide needed near-term help for salmon. But we must keep the press on, working with the tribes for a comprehensive solution that restores the Snake River and its salmon, honors the treaties with the tribes, and makes the investments to replace the services currently provided by the dams.
To prevent extinction and restore the Snake River and its once abundant salmon, we need a comprehensive solution from Congress that supports salmon recovery communities, clean energy, and prioritizes the efforts of the Northwest Tribes as outlined in recent resolutions by the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) and Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians (ATNI).