Portland, OR – Today, Earthjustice on behalf of a coalition of fishing and conservation groups sent a 60-day notice of their intent to return to court to challenge the latest federal plan for hydropower operations on the Snake and Columbia Rivers. This would be the sixth incarnation of a long legal fight focused on restoring endangered salmon and steelhead. The groups sending the notice have won the previous five challenges but the Trump administration continues to pursue essentially the same strategy courts have consistently rejected.

Five experts in salmon and orcas addressed PNW governors, policymakers, and members of Congress in a letter on February 20th. The letter provided a concise review of the best available science on the relationship between the Lower Snake River dams, Chinook salmon recovery, and Southern Resident population of orcas.