Press Release: NW conservation and fishing organizations praise governors’ salmon agreement; press for urgency and action

Letter signed by the four governors can be found HERE

PDF version of the Press Release HERE

NW conservation and fishing organizations praise governors’ salmon agreement; press for urgency and action

SEATTLE—Conservation organizations throughout the Pacific Northwest today praised an Agreement issued by Governors Brad Little of Idaho, Kate Brown of Oregon, Jay Inslee of Washington and Steve Bullock of Montana outlining goals for a regional initiative to restore salmon in the Columbia-Snake River basin.

The organizations said the Agreement’s intent must be followed by urgent action by the governors—along with members of Congress and in collaboration with Tribes. Together, they must focus on returning struggling salmon and steelhead populations to harvestable abundance, and to focus particularly on the biggest need and opportunity in the Snake River.

The letter followed the recent decision by the Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Reclamation and Bonneville Power Administration to formally adopt a federal salmon strategy that provides a limited increase in the amount of water spilled over four dams on the lower Columbia River and four dams on the lower Snake River. The same agencies acknowledged in an Environmental Impact Statement in July that the most effective salmon restoration action would result from restoring a freely flowing lower Snake River by removing the earthen portions of its four federal dams. Conservation and fishing organizations throughout the region, along with the Nez Perce Tribe, called the federal decision to reject dam removal insufficient and unacceptable.

The governors’ letter of intent commits to leading a regional collaboration to achieve abundant salmon and steelhead populations in the Columbia Basin; to uphold treaty rights; to support state fishery and fishery-related objectives and river-dependent economies; and to advance clean energy goals and an efficient, reliable, and affordable energy system.

Similar goals were put forth earlier this year by an historic coalition of utilities and conservation groups that stressed the need to find comprehensive, long-term and durable solutions for the region that will:

• Recover abundant and harvestable salmon and steelhead populations

• Honor identity and cultural values as well as federal treaties and responsibilities for Columbia Basin tribes

• Enhance regional economies including farming, transportation, fishing, recreation, port and tribal enterprises in the Columbia Basin

• Ensure electric system reliability, affordability and decarbonization for our region

Recent work, including reports from NW Energy Coalition and Governor Inslee’s Lower Snake River Dams Stakeholder Engagement process, have noted ways to achieve these goals for salmon, energy, Tribes and communities. Organizational statements on the governors’ letter follow.

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It’s critical that this new effort deliver clear steps and a timetable for achieving healthy, harvestable salmon runs, honoring commitments to Northwest Tribes, strengthening our economy, and ensuring a future of reliable, affordable clean energy. A regional solution for salmon and river-dependent communities is within our grasp, and the governors’ announcement is an essential first step. - Wendy McDermott, Director, Rivers of Puget Sound and Columbia Basin, American Rivers

We are excited that regional leadership is stepping up to find a comprehensive solution to an issue that the federal government has struggled to fix for so long. But this can't be more of the same old bureaucracy—we've spent decades talking about restoring the lower Snake River. This new process needs to result in urgent actions if we are going to have any chance of recovering our world class salmon runs. - Chris Hager, Executive Director Association of Northwest Steelheaders

We appreciate the Governors’ leadership in advancing a sovereign and stakeholder process to address salmon and steelhead recovery in the Snake and Columbia Rivers. Our salmon, orca, fish and farm communities and regional energy system require a comprehensive solution that works for all. Collectively, we have the ability to create that. - Alex Craven, NW Lands & Rivers Organizer, Sierra Club

We believe that major changes need to occur in order to restore the Salmon runs within the Nez Perce Territory. The status quo has not and will not work. - Elliott Moffett, President, Nimiipuu Protecting the Environment

Salmon and fishing advocates appreciate the four governors’ leadership to launch a new initiative to address the needs of endangered salmon and struggling communities. Since time immemorial, Columbia-Snake River Basin salmon have delivered irreplaceable benefits to Northwest people, wildlife and ecosystems. All of this is at grave risk today. This effort must move forward with great urgency and action. It will need active support and leadership of our region's Congressional delegation as well. Northwest people must work together and its policymakers and sovereigns must lead us together to craft and to implement comprehensive science-based solutions that restore salmon, invest in communities, uphold our nation’s obligations to Native American Tribes, and sustain a clean, reliable and affordable energy system. - Joseph Bogaard, Executive Director, Save Our wild Salmon Coalition

The four governors process comes at a pivotal moment, for the once-abundant salmon and steelhead runs of the Columbia River Basin are swimming toward oblivion, putting the ecosystems and communities that depend on them in ever greater peril. Now it’s time to pick up the pace to deliver the bold new thinking and strong leadership Northwest residents need. With the full engagement of the Tribes and members of congress, we are counting on the four governors process to steer our region toward greater prosperity, to right historical wrongs and to recover abundant salmon populations. - Tom France, Northwest Regional Executive Director, National Wildlife Federation

The birth of two orca calves so far this year signals the immediate need to provide Southern Resident orcas with the salmon they need to survive. The Snake River’s rising water temperatures threaten salmon, but our federal agencies are failing to act. It is more important than ever before that our elected leaders bring people together and restore a free-flowing Snake River to benefit wild salmon, orcas, Tribes, farmers and fishing communities. We can build a better future for people and wildlife, but we must act now. - Robb Krehbiel, Representative for Northwest Programs, Defenders of Wildlife

This is a much-needed step to help the endangered Southern Resident orca community that depends on abundant, wild Northwest salmon. Two new calves have recently been born into this struggling population, and to ensure they grow up healthy and help this beloved group of orcas come back from the edge of extinction, we must make sure they have what they need to survive and thrive. We are grateful to Governors Brown and Inslee, and hopeful that they will take quick and definitive action to restore the Lower Snake River and all who depend on a healthy Columbia Basin ecosystem – from orcas to people of the Northwest. - Colleen Weiler, Jessica Rekos Fellow for Orca Conservation WDC, Whale and Dolphin Conservation