U.S. Government Sets a Path to Breach the four Lower Snake River dams, while honoring Tribes, and restoring salmon to the Northwest
BOISE – Today the White House reiterated their commitment to salmon recovery, announcing a substantial development in the long standing litigation between the federal government and Tribes, conservation organizations, and the states of Washington and Oregon toward the removal of the four Lower Snake River dams.
This promising demonstration by the Administration is a commitment to honoring treaty rights of Columbia Basin sovereign Tribes, preventing salmon and steelhead extinction, and transitioning the region to real, clean energy solutions.
This new initiative, the Columbia Basin Restoration Initiative (CBRI), developed by Washington, Oregon, and four Columbia Basin Tribes, provides a comprehensive new roadmap for salmon recovery, including a call to replace the energy, transportation, irrigation, and recreation services provided by the lower Snake River dams so they can be breached. The Biden administration is supporting the bold new blueprint with federal commitments and a Memorandum of Understanding pledging to continue working together on next steps.
“While we still have a long way to go, this is one of the biggest achievements in removing the Lower Snake River dams that the region has ever seen. While resistance continues, especially from the Bonneville Power Administration, and the fear mongering from dam supporters remains pervasive, this Administration has finally adopted the only path, grounded in undisputable science, towards recovery of Idaho’s salmon and steelhead,” said Nic Nelson, Executive Director of Idaho Rivers United.
Highlights of the CBRI:
Regionwide investments in energy replacement, including Tribally-owned projects to develop 1,000-3,000 megawatts of clean, renewable, salmon-friendly power to replace the power provided by the dams.
Provides a roadmap for removal of the Lower Snake River dams, within two fish-generations (roughly eight years).
Invests heavily in updating the region’s transportation, irrigation, and recreation services
Appropriations for continued habitat restoration and protection across the Columbia River Basin.
This agreement, and the continued commitment from the federal government to restore salmon populations to healthy and abundant levels that it represents, comes at a critical time for Idaho’s endangered and declining wild salmon runs.
Idaho Rivers United, in solidarity with our conservation plaintiffs, will use this stay of litigation to ensure that the commitments made by the Administration will be fulfilled and that ultimately, the Lower Snake River dams will be removed.
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