All articles tagged with #salmon restoration
In 2025, significant progress was made in climate and nature efforts, including formal recognition of indigenous voices at COP16, new indigenous land rights, and the successful removal of dams along California's Klamath River, leading to the return of salmon to their spawning grounds.
President Trump withdrew the U.S. from a 2023 agreement aimed at restoring salmon populations in the Columbia River Basin, citing concerns over energy resources and climate change, despite opposition from tribes and environmental groups who see it as a setback for fish conservation and regional progress.
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 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.
A leaked document from the Biden administration reveals that the U.S. government is willing to support the construction of clean energy projects in the Pacific Northwest as a replacement for the hydropower generated by the controversial Snake River dams. Conservationists see the potential removal of the dams as crucial for restoring depleted salmon runs, but Congress would need to agree on their removal, which is unlikely in the near future. The draft agreement, part of ongoing mediation talks with tribes and conservation groups, also includes funding for analyzing energy needs, improving infrastructure, and restoring native fish populations. Utility and business groups oppose dam breaching, citing potential negative impacts on ports, farmers, and electricity prices.
A leaked document reveals that the U.S. government is willing to support the construction of clean energy projects in the Pacific Northwest to replace the hydropower generated by the controversial Snake River dams. Conservationists see the potential removal of the dams as crucial for restoring depleted salmon runs. However, Congress would need to approve the dam removal, which is unlikely to happen soon. The draft agreement also includes funding for analyzing energy needs, improving infrastructure, and restoring native fish populations. Utility and business groups oppose the agreement, citing potential negative impacts on ports, farmers, and electricity prices. The negotiations are ongoing, and the tribes involved have not commented on the document.