Columbia Basin Restoration Agreement Signing
February 23rd, 2024 marked a momentous day for salmon recovery in the Columbia Basin as White House officials and the Six Sovereigns (Oregon, Washington, the Nez Perce Tribe, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation, and the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation) celebrated the signing of the Columbia Basin agreement in Washington, D.C. IRU along with other conservation and fishing group plaintiffs were on hand to witness the occasion.
The ceremonial signing represented the last step for the agreement and multi-year stay of litigation, which was announced on December 14th, and approved by Judge Michael Simon on February 8th. The real work of recovering wild salmon and steelhead populations to healthy and harvestable numbers and honoring obligations to Tribal Nations, while modernizing and investing in clean energy, agriculture, and transportation has only just begun. Until Lower Snake River dam breach is achieved Idaho’s wild salmon and steelhead populations have no pathway towards meaningful recovery and will continue sliding towards extinction.
“While the fight to save Idaho’s salmon is far from over, this signing represents an historic milestone in the decades-long campaign. This is the most significant action an Administration has taken so far, but we must remain vigilant to ensure the promises here are fulfilled, and ultimately lead to the removal of the Lower Snake River dams,” said Nic Nelson, Executive Director of Idaho Rivers United.
A refresher on what the agreement entails and next steps can be found here.
Use Your Voice: Tell BPA to Uphold Their Commitments to Salmon and Clean Energy
Bonneville Power Administration - which both markets hydropower produced from the federal network of dams in the Columbia Basin and is mandated to fund mitigation projects for the harm these same dams cause to fisheries - has long profited at the expense of native fish, including Idaho’s wild Snake River salmon and steelhead runs. The agency has committed $300 million over the next 10 years towards fish and wildlife project funding as part of the Columbia Basin agreement and is required to begin to diversify its energy portfolio by prioritizing energy efficiency and demand-response resources and acquiring clean, renewable energy.
We need your voice to maintain pressure on BPA to uphold its commitments and to seek truly clean energy generating resources in the form of non-hydro renewables. BPA must fully prioritize salmon recovery in their operations and funding of mitigation projects - for too long the agency has treated the destruction of fish runs and the underfunding of fisheries restoration projects as a “cost of doing business”.
Use your voice today in support of the Columbia Basin agreement and to hold BPA to their word.
Additional Resources
Watch the Ceremonial Signing
Six Sovereigns Restoration Plan (Columbia Basin Restoration Initiative)
US Government Commitments
White House fact sheet
Litigation Memorandum of Understanding