All articles tagged with #columbia river basin
President Trump reversed a 2023 agreement aimed at salmon recovery and dam removal in the Columbia River Basin, halting federal funding and initiatives that supported tribes and environmental efforts, leading to condemnation from tribes and environmental groups and raising concerns about future legal and ecological impacts.
President Donald Trump signed a memorandum revoking the Biden administration's environmental policies in the Columbia River Basin, emphasizing energy development and economic growth over climate change concerns, and taking steps to restore American energy independence and protect jobs and resources.
The Biden administration, tribal leaders, and governors of Oregon and Washington have celebrated the signing of a $1 billion plan to restore depleted salmon populations in the Pacific Northwest, which includes boosting clean energy production and offsetting benefits provided by controversial dams on the Snake River. The plan, known as the Columbia Basin Restoration Initiative, aims to strengthen tribal clean energy projects and provide benefits for communities dependent on the Columbia Basin. While some environmental groups and tribal leaders have urged for the removal of the dams, the agreement represents a significant step towards eventually taking them down. However, congressional Republicans oppose dam breaching and have vowed to block it.
The Biden administration has committed millions of dollars in new funding to restore the Columbia River Basin, following decades of controversy over the impact of four dams on the region's salmon population. The Nez Perce tribe and other conservation groups have long advocated for the removal of the dams, which they believe are responsible for the decline in salmon numbers. The administration's plan includes replacing the energy provided by the dams with renewable sources and breaching the dams within the next eight years. However, opponents argue that the dams are a valuable source of clean energy and that removing them would have negative economic and environmental consequences. The issue is expected to face further scrutiny and debate in Congress.
The Biden administration has reached a historic deal with four tribes in the Columbia River Basin and the states of Oregon and Washington to restore salmon and other fish runs while considering the eventual breaching of four dams. The agreement includes a 10-year pause in legal battles, promises of federal funds for wild fish restoration and renewable tribal energy production, and a commitment to replace and breach the lower Snake River dams within eight years. Environmental groups hailed the agreement as a major win, while critics representing utilities, farmers, and ports expressed concerns about the exclusion of their interests. The deal also addresses the issue of fish hatcheries, which have failed to support native fish populations despite billions of dollars spent on restoration projects.
The Biden-Harris Administration has announced a 10-year partnership with Tribes and States in the Pacific Northwest to restore wild salmon populations, expand clean energy production, and provide stability for communities dependent on the Columbia River System. The agreement includes over $1 billion in new Federal investments for wild fish restoration and the development of at least one to three gigawatts of Tribally sponsored clean energy projects. The Administration also commits to adjusting the operations of the Federal hydrosystem to benefit fish, conducting studies on replacing services provided by the Lower Snake River dams, and supporting Tribally led efforts to restore salmon populations in the Upper Columbia River Basin.