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White House: Snake River Dam Mediation 'Still in Active Negotiations' by Matthew Weaver Capital Press, November 30, 2023

The package of actions and commitments is expected
to be part of a court filing on December 15

The White House says plans for Snake River salmon restoration are "still in active negotiations" following the release of the federal government's proposed commitments developed during federal mediation.

"No documents have (been) finalized and we are still in active negotiations," a spokesperson for the White House Council on Environmental Quality said. "This is a confidential process, and we cannot comment on any information that may have been leaked. Details on any new actions and commitments will be public once any agreement is finalized."

Several environmental groups and Tribes sued the federal government over its management of the four lower Snake River dams. The judge hearing the case paused it while federal mediators and the CEQ met with the plaintiffs and defendants in an attempt to reach an agreement on how to improve the salmon populations in that portion of the river.

The government's secret proposed commitments to the plaintiffs were leaked to the public earlier this week.

Breaching the Lower Snake River dams would require congressional authorization and "is therefore not an action that could be agreed to through the mediation," the spokesperson said.

Agricultural and electric power stakeholders have already expressed concern that the proposed commitments create a roadmap for eventually breaching the four dams.

As part of the court-mandated confidential mediation with the environmentalists, Tribes, states and other parties to develop a long-term, durable path forward, the U.S. government is developing a package of actions and commitments "that we are discussing with all parties involved in the mediation," the spokesperson said.

Intervenor defendants, including the Pacific Northwest Waterways Association's Inland Ports and Navigation Group and Northwest RiverPartners, say they have been shut out of the mediation.

The Biden administration has made a "historic commitment" to prioritize the restoration of healthy and abundant wild salmon, steelhead, and other native fish to the Columbia River Basin "while delivering affordable and reliable clean energy, supporting the local agriculture economy, and meeting the many resilience needs of the region," the CEQ spokesperson said.

"The Biden-Harris administration is committed to honoring the United States' obligations to Tribal Nations and, at the same time, recognizing the critical economic and environmental benefits that the Columbia River provides to communities and businesses," the spokesperson said.

The package of actions and commitments is expected to be part of a court filing on Dec. 15 or, if there is no agreement, the parties will propose to the court a schedule for restarting litigation, according to Earthjustice, the nonprofit that represents environmental plaintiffs in the lawsuit.

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