Criticism of the negative impact of hydropower dams and a call for clean-energy options to aid restoration of restore wild fish to the Columbia River Basin is being countered by a trade association with interests in the Pacific Northwest.
The Biden administration on June 18 announced creation of the Columbia River Task Force and the release of a landmark report acknowledging the harm that federal dams have continued to inflict on Native American tribes in the region.
The interagency task force advances a historic agreement to work in partnership with tribes and states from the Pacific Northwest to restore wild salmon populations in the Columbia River Basin and develop a long-term strategy to meet clean energy, transportation and other key needs of the region, the White House said.
Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said that as part of the federal government’s commitment to tribal nations, the Interior Department would continue to pursue comprehensive and collaborative basin-wide solutions to restore native fish populations, empower tribes and meet the resilience needs of communities across the region.
The announcement drew quick criticism from Neil Maunu, executive director of the Pacific Northwest Waterways Association (PNWA) and Inland Ports and Navigation Group, who said the agreement failed to involve stakeholders and was not based on scientific evidence.
“Our concerns with the Biden administration’s actions are their excessive lack of transparency and the failure to account for all interests affected by this complex issue,” Maunu said.
The federal report issued neglects the interests of Native American tribes and other residents of the region who rely on the river system for their livelihoods, PNWA concluded, which could cause more insecurity to marginalized communities and negatively impact local economies.
In a statement, the PNWA said that it’s deeply concerned with the failure to involve local communities that live and work in the region.
“This one-sided approach, which has not been transparent, dismisses the tremendous negative impacts on the future of this region’s economy and the environmental harm caused by the breaching of the Lower Snake River dams,” the association said. Officials added that the current economy of the tri-state region is reliant on the Snake River and would be devastated by negative impacts on river commerce, agriculture exports, recreation and tourism and power generation.
The Waterways association urged the federal government to engage with all stakeholders, stating that any path forward must be founded on comprehensive study and consensus-based solutions that address the complex tradeoffs between salmon recovery, dam breaching and adverse environmental effects on the region.
The non-profit trade association advocates for federal policies and funding in support of regional economic and environmental sustainability. It represents more than 150 public ports, navigation, transportation, trade, tourism agriculture, forest products, energy and local government interests in Oregon, Washington and Idaho.
On June 26, Jim Matheson, CEO of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association sent a letter to the U.S. Senate and House appropriation committees, urging them to block all funds for the Columbia River Basin Initiative on the grounds that it poses a grave threat to the hydropower capabilities of the Lower Snake River dams.
“To protect the reliability of the Western electric grid, the stability of our domestic food and mineral supplies and our nation’s energy security, it is imperative that we act now to stop any implementation of this ill-conceived plan to breach the Lower Snake River Dams,” the letter said in part.
The Interior Department statement stressing the federal government’s commitment to restoring salmon and other native wild fish to the Columbia River Basin noted a historic agreement reached in December 2023. It covers restoration of salmon populations, expansion of tribally sponsored clean energy production and stabilization of communities that depend on the Columbia River system for agriculture, energy, recreation and transportation.
Federal dams and reservoirs in the Columbia River Basin have affected all the basin tribes, Interior officials said. The department’s report takes into consideration the impacts of 11 specific dams on eight of the basin’s tribal nations:
Coeur D’Alene Tribe of Indians, Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon, Nez Perce Tribes, Shoshone-Bannock Tribes of the Fort Hall Reservation and Spokane Tribe of Indians.
Recommendations to further the government’s responsibilities to these tribes include integrating the inequities tribes suffered as a result of federal dam construction and operation into future National Environmental Policy Act reviews, as well as pursuing co-stewardship and co-management agreements and incorporating indigenous knowledge into decision making, Interior officials said.
The Waterways association, meanwhile, urged what it called a “an inclusive, holistic approach that equitably serves all stakeholders.”
Margaret Bauman can be reached at margie@maritimepublishing.com