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Petition to Remove Lower Snake River Dams Gets 1,000 Signatures by Sydney Brown The Daily News, May 8, 2022

The petition specifically asked federal leaders to have a plan for removal by the end of 2022.

The fight by some environmental groups to remove Snake River dams has new life after a petition to elected officials garnered 1,000 signatures.

Columbia Riverkeeper's letters and petitions to President Joe Biden and Democratic Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley have focused on a hotly debated proposal: getting rid of the four Lower Snake River dams. This encompasses the Ice Harbor, Lower Monumental, Little Goose and Lower Granite dams.

The petition specifically asked federal leaders to have a plan for removal by the end of 2022, according to a news release from Riverkeeper. The removal, and solutions to replace the dams, has seen past support from Oregon Gov. Kate Brown and U.S. Republican Rep. Mike Simpson from Idaho.

The Riverkeeper's petition, which started to circulate at the beginning of this year, read:

"Pacific Northwest Salmon and Southern Resident Orcas are facing extinction, and we are calling on you to act with the urgency this moment demands. We are counting on your leadership to save these iconic species from extinction."

Advocates for the dams, like the Northwest River Partners, say many ports, wheat-growers and farmers still rely on them for irrigation and transportation.

Dam removal remains a long-debated and complicated issue, with elected officials dedicating multiple studies to determine the implications and environmental impacts of the dams.

In October 2021, Washington state Gov. Jay Inslee and U.S. Democratic Sen. Patty Murray said in a news release they were teaming up to fund research determining the feasibility of removing the dams. The study promised to examine hydropower effects, salmon restoration and the possibility of replacing the current dams with carbon-free hydroelectric ones. Recommendations from this study are expected to come no later than July 31.

The debate has even reached Washington, D.C. In a March 28 news release, the White House Council on Environmental Quality said they were creating an interagency group along the Columbia River Basin comprised of tribal leaders, stakeholders, environmental groups and local governments to analyze the dams and whether it was possible to find a long-term solution.

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Inslee and Murray statement on establishing solutions
for salmon recovery in the Columbia River Basin

Today U.S. Sen. Patty Murray and Gov. Jay Inslee issued the following joint statement on next steps as they pursue a joint federal-state process to establish a comprehensive solution for salmon recovery in the Columbia River Basin.

"Saving our salmon is absolutely essential to Washington state's economy and cultural heritage--it is an urgent undertaking that we are fully committed to. In May, we called for a regional process that ensures all voices in the region are heard and takes all options into consideration, including potential breaching of the Lower Snake River Dams. We also stated that we are ready to do our part to promptly achieve a solution.

"Today we are announcing a joint federal-state process to determine whether there are reasonable means for replacing the benefits provided by the Lower Snake River Dams, sufficient to support breach as part of a salmon recovery strategy for the Snake River and the Pacific Northwest. We approach this question with open minds and without a predetermined decision. Both of us believe that, for the region to move forward, the time has come to identify specific details for how the impacts of breach can, or cannot, be mitigated.

"We recognize the urgency of tackling this longstanding challenge as salmon runs continue to decline. Our recommendations will be completed by no later than July 31, 2022.

"We will not start this process from scratch--we will build on the important data and previously conducted research on these topics to help guide the process. Between now and July, we will also engage in robust outreach to communities across the Pacific Northwest to solicit their views as part of this process. This will include close consultation and advisement by treaty-protected Tribes whose unique perspectives and sovereignty each of us deeply appreciates. We intend to consult with individuals and groups with a wide range of views on the question of dam breaching to ensure the needs of the entire region are addressed.

"As Sen. Murray and Gov. Inslee conduct the joint federal-state process in Washington state, in order to keep all options on the table in good faith, Sen. Murray will work in the other Washington to ensure key elements of a salmon recovery strategy are included as part of any Army Corps of Engineers strategy in the FY2022 Water Resources Development Act, including possible expert analysis by federal agencies of breaching as part of a solution.

"Without this critical step, options that may be essential to salmon restoration could be excluded from the most timely and viable federal legislative vehicle. "Every community in the Pacific Northwest knows the value and importance of our iconic salmon runs--the time is now to take decisive action. We look forward to working with every community from every part of the Pacific Northwest and those on both sides of the aisle to finally establish a regional path forward to save the salmon."

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The Water Resources Development Act is a biennial bill which serves as the primary authorizing legislation for civil works projects and programs carried out by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Sen. Murray will work to secure in the 2022 Water Resources Development Act an authorization of an analysis of the four Lower Snake River dam projects that will evaluate the costs and impacts of breach alongside other options. As Gov. Inslee and Sen. Murray work to provide recommendations for a comprehensive salmon recovery strategy, this legislative action will importantly ensure that breaching remains on the table: historically, work on any Army Corps of Engineers projects, including dams, has been preceded by a study. If Sen. Murray does not pursue action as part of this Water Resources Development Act cycle, the next opportunity to authorize such an analysis would be in 2024. Such an analysis is necessary to pursue an authorization for further action with the dams, potentially including breach, to be included in a future Water Resources Development Act.

The Joint Federal-State Process is the mechanism that Sen. Murray and Gov. Inslee will utilize to inform their recommendation on whether the Lower Snake River Dams should be breached or retained. Consultant and expert support will be retained by the governor's office to help synthesize existing information regarding what is known about options to replace the benefits of the dams, if removed, and what remains unknown. This assessment will be reviewed with Tribal governments, river users and communities, and other affected groups representing a range of views regarding the four Lower Snake River Dams. The governor and senator will, as appropriate, conduct Tribal consultation and meet with parties representing a range of views regarding the four Lower Snake River Dams. Formal mechanisms for the public to submit written comment on the topic will be detailed at a future date. At the conclusion of the Joint Federal-State Process in July 2022, the governor and senator will present their recommendations, and engage with relevant parties on next steps.