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Ag Stakeholders: Secret Plan Threatens Ag 'In a Way We've Never Seen Before' by Matthew Weaver Capital Press, November 30, 2023

Stakeholders say the federal government's commitments to support Columbia Basin
salmon populations threatens agriculture "in a way we've never seen before."

The results of mediation between the federal government and plaintiffs in long-running litigation over Snake River dams operations were made public Nov. 29 by several members of the Northwest congressional delegation.

In a joint press release, the executive directors of Northwest RiverPartners, the Public Power Council, and the Pacific Northwest Waterways Association expressed "extreme concern" about the lack of transparency in the process and the impact on stakeholders.

"The (U.S. government) Commitments go well beyond creating a roadmap for breaching the lower Snake River dams, establishing a plan that could demolish the capabilities of the entire Federal Columbia River Power System," the joint statement reads. "The USG Commitments ignore scientific studies and rely solely on one unscientific NOAA policy document to justify spending billions of dollars."

"PPC and its nonprofit member utilities believe these USG Commitments pose the single greatest threat to the vitality of the region's hydropower system we have ever faced," said Scott Simms, CEO and executive director of the Public Power Council, in the statement. "We are calling on the entire Northwest congressional delegation to stand up for the region's electric grid and the communities dependent on clean, reliable hydropower."

"We are extremely disappointed in the flawed process that led to these USG Commitments, which would eliminate shipping and river transportation in Idaho and eastern Washington and remove over 48,000 acres from food production," said Neil Maunu, executive director of the Pacific Northwest Waterways Association. "These commitments threaten the livelihoods of farmers, ports and barging operators, and present river system safety concerns in a way we've never seen before."

"These USG Commitments would be devastating to the millions of electricity customers across the region that depend on the affordability and reliability of hydropower," Kurt Miller, executive director of Northwest RiverPartners, stated. "As written, it hands the keys to anti-hydro parties whose stated objective is to dismantle the entire system. The outcome would gut the region's decarbonization efforts. Higher energy prices will hurt the very same vulnerable groups that will be negatively affected by climate change."

"Our organizations have repeatedly looked for ways to find common ground with the plaintiffs' concerns during the mediation process, submitting numerous inputs, documents, and studies," the joint statement reads. "Instead of working with all interests, the U.S. Government chose for months to hold secret negotiations and refused to share any details with us, let alone allow our participation. It is not surprising, then, that this proposal turns its back on over 3 million electricity customers as well as the farming, transportation, navigation, and economic needs of the region. By purposely excluding our respective organizations from the negotiations, literally millions of Northwest residents were deprived of fair representation in this process.

"The Northwest's hydropower system is the greatest tool available to fight climate change," the statement reads. "Destroying or diminishing the hydropower system to chase false 'solutions' is a lose-lose proposition for both people and salmon."

Related Pages:
Inslee-Murray Report: Snake River Dam Breaching Not Feasible Now by Matthew Weaver, Capital Press, 8/26/22

Related Sites:
Leaked Document of 11/2/23 and letter to President by Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers