Northwest Native nations continue to sound the alarm on threatened native fish populations in the Columbia River Basin, and the White House is paying attention.
In a historic first, President Joe Biden issued a presidential memorandum calling for a “sustained national effort” restoring healthy and abundant Native fish in the Columbia River Basin on Sept. 27. Tribal nations and Native groups applauded the memorandum, saying federal action is required to address the critical threats to native fish in the Columbia River Basin.
The memorandum, which emphasized the federal government’s trust and treaty obligations to regional tribes, calls on multiple federal agencies to review policies affecting native fish and to form intergovernmental partnerships with regional tribal governments for restoration efforts.
The memorandum touches on regional hydroelectric dams harming fish populations and tribal nations. Still, it stops short of calling for dam removal, demurring the controversial topic tribes and environmentalists say is critical for salmon recovery.
The Columbia Intertribal Fish Commission, or CRITFC, an intergovernmental group formed in 1977 wholly owned and operated by the sovereign governments of its four member tribes, is a significant player in fish conservation and tribal advocacy in the Columbia River Basin.
CRITFC represents the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation and the Nez Perce tribe. CRITFC’s purpose is “ensuring a unified voice in the overall management of the fishery resources.”
Corinne Sams (Cayuse/Walla Walla/Cocopah), CRITFC chair, applauded the move, saying the “historic” memorandum signals the Biden administration won’t accept “business as usual.”
“The Columbia River Treaty Tribes celebrate President Biden’s Sept. 27 salmon restoration memorandum,” Sams, also a Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation Board of Trustees member and Umatilla Fish and Wildlife Commission member, said. “We have long sustained that the decline of salmon in the Columbia Basin is a threat to all life in the Pacific Northwest.”
New memorandum
The memo says the Biden administration’s priority is to honor trust and treaty obligations to tribes concerning fisheries, including nations harmed by the construction and operation of federal dams in the Columbia River System. Part of that effort is abiding by the Pacific Northwest Electric Power Planning and Conservation Act, which deems the federal government responsible for providing equitable treatment for fish and wildlife along with the other purposes for managing the dams.
Dams in the Columbia River Basin are primarily used for generating electricity, which the federal government then sells to various regional power entities. The dams also facilitate the transport of large river barges up the Columbia River to the Port of Lewiston, Idaho, the West Coast’s innermost shipping port. The barges often transport grain, primarily for international export.
The memorandum acknowledges harm done to tribal nations through dam construction and the federal government’s need to adhere to its treaty obligations.
“It is the policy of my Administration to work with the Congress and with Tribal Nations, States, local governments, and stakeholders to pursue effective, creative, and durable solutions, informed by Indigenous Knowledge, to restore healthy and abundant salmon, steelhead, and other native fish populations in the Basin,” the memorandum states.
Populations in decline
Threatened and depleted populations of salmon in the Columbia River basin face a perilous journey as they attempt to reach spawning grounds in the basin. The best way to restore fish populations is a matter of heated debate that is increasingly political.
Chemical runoff pollutes the waters, and dams hinder movement upriver or block it entirely, reducing currents and allowing sediment to build up, degrading water quality. Climate change further exacerbates issues as hydrological outlooks change and temperatures rise.
When tribes signed treaties with the U.S. government in the 19th and 20th centuries, like the Yakama Nation and Warm Springs, they cemented legal rights to access their traditional fisheries, producing more than 15 million fish annually.
“For too long, we have seen the federal government try to do the minimum amount necessary to pass legal muster under the Endangered Species Act. This minimum effort approach has resulted in our fish populations limping along at depressed levels, oftentimes near-extinction and leaving us without enough salmon for our ceremonies, culture and subsistence.”
— Johnathan W. Smith, Sr.,
Warm Springs Tribal Council chairman.
Today, after dam construction and other factors fundamentally changed the river, those fisheries produce a mere fraction of their former output, roughly 2 million.
Tribes say dramatically depleted fish stocks don't meet the trust and treaty obligations the federal government is responsible for maintaining.
Jeremy Takala, Yakama Nation Tribal Council Fish and Wildlife Committee chair, said Columbia Basin salmon are in crisis.
“Without significant change, our native fisheries will disappear forever, and extinction is not an option that the Yakama Nation will accept,” Takala said. “At the same time, our communities are facing significant new challenges from climate change, aging infrastructure, and increased clean energy needs.”
CRITFC and its member tribes agree the federal government is not doing enough to protect native fish in the Columbia River Basin from extinction, and tribes are paying the price.
The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs is one regional tribe reliant on restoring depleted salmon and other native fish runs for their people’s health and spiritual well-being, according to Johnathan W. Smith, Sr., Warm Springs Tribal Council chairman.
Smith expressed optimism that the Biden memorandum signaled a new direction for the federal government’s fish management strategy.
“For too long, we have seen the federal government try to do the minimum amount necessary to pass legal muster under the Endangered Species Act,” Smith said. “This minimum effort approach has resulted in our fish populations limping along at depressed levels, oftentimes near-extinction and leaving us without enough salmon for our ceremonies, culture and subsistence.”
The impacts of declining fish populations, including salmon, are felt by tribal people throughout the basin.
The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, which has dedicated significant resources to salmon recovery in its ancestral homelands, expressed gratitude for the “critical steps” the Biden administration is taking to restore salmon.
“The president sends a clear message throughout the federal government that business as usual is no longer acceptable,” Sams said. “Never has the federal government issued a Presidential Memorandum on salmon. This memorandum also upholds the U.S. government’s treaty and trust obligations to the Columbia River treaty tribes.
“Our water, First Foods, and ecosystem are the lifeblood of our people. If the fish could speak, they would thank President Biden.”
Dam removal controversy
Dam removal is an important yet politically controversial topic related to restoring salmon populations in the Columbia River Basin.
The construction of a series of federally owned and operated Columbia River Basin dams in the mid-1900s increased water temperatures and stagnated stretches of water between dams. Today, salmon struggle to navigate through dams and their fish ladders in numbers that dwindle as years pass, with many unable to reach their spawning grounds.
While many dams in the region have fish ladders allowing some salmon to pass, salmon can’t reach any part of the Columbia River north of Chief Joseph and Grand Coulee dams in central Washington.
Fish hatcheries in the basin, many tribally operated, supplement the depleted numbers of salmon unable to traverse the dams and reach their spawning grounds.
The consequences of dam construction on tribal sovereignty and life are broad and far-reaching. The relationships between tribes and the river, which have endured since time immemorial, were fundamentally altered.
Northwest Native nations and environmentalists highlighted dams’ negative effects on native fish populations for decades, but dam removal is opposed by dam operators, regional grain farmers and Republican lawmakers.
Opponents of dam removal say that removing the dams would have a detrimental effect on the region’s economy while not delivering the promised benefits to fish recovery.
Lower Snake River Dams
Though many dams exist in the basin, removal efforts focus on the four dams along the lower Snake River, a part of the Columbia River Basin, in southeast Washington.
Tribes and environmentalists say removing the dams is a critical component of preventing the extinction of salmon in the Snake River.
Columbia Riverkeeper, an environmental advocacy group, has repeatedly called for dam removal.
Miles Johnson, Columbia Riverkeeper legal director, reacted positively to the memorandum but highlighted the need for further action on dams.
“President Biden's memo recognizing the link between abundant salmon runs and Tribal rights is a huge step in the right direction,” Johnson told Street Roots. “We look forward to seeing how federal agencies like the Bonneville Power Administration and the Army Corps of Engineers intend to reverse the decades of harm that their policies have inflicted on the Columbia and Snake rivers and the people who depend on them."
Claims that dam removal is essential to the survival of salmon in the Snake River were recently backed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, for the first time when it concluded in a September 2022 report on Columbia River Basin salmon and steelhead. The report found that breaching the lower Snake River Dams is an “essential” step to saving the fish.
NOAA’s assertion supports multiple scientific studies finding breaching the lower Snake River dams will likely prevent the extinction of threatened fish populations, including salmon, in the Columbia River basin.
The Biden administration indicated it is considering supporting dam removal along the lower Snake River, which would require an act of Congress.
Local other Republican representatives, Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-WA, bristled at the idea of removing dams along the lower Snake River, loudly decrying any efforts to advance discussions on dam removal, saying the four dams are “vital” to the region and the economy.
Although Biden’s memorandum doesn’t explicitly mention or call for dam removal on the lower Snake River, opponents like Newhouse say the memorandum indicates the administration’s position is pro-removal, which Newhouse mentioned in a statement shortly after Biden’s memorandum released.
“The direction from President Biden proves that his Administration and dam-breaching advocates will continue to pretend to hear feedback from the community to give the perception that residents and stakeholders are being heard,” Newhouse said. “The sad truth is, this has not been a collaborative process all along and they are only seeking to accomplish one predetermined outcome: a breach of the Four Lower Snake River Dams.”
The Sept. 26 memorandum came just a month before the end of a 60-day postponement in a lawsuit over the presence of dams on the lower Snake River at the expense of salmon runs. On Oct. 31, a federal judge granted an additional 45-day postponement to allow for ongoing negotiations.
What lies ahead
Biden’s memorandum on salmon requires all federal agencies with “applicable authorities and responsibilities” that affect native fish to review and provide a report on their policies affecting native fish populations in the Columbia River Basin.
The myriad federal agencies named in the memo, ranging from the Bureau of Indian Affairs to the United States Geological Survey to the Department of Commerce and many other agencies, shows the breadth of industries impacting and influencing the well-being of fish populations in the basin.
Aja DeCouteau (Yakama, Cayuse, Nez Perce, Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa), CRITFC executive director, highlighted the importance of the memorandum centering the federal government’s trust and treaty obligations to tribes.
“This memorandum reflects the scope and urgency for action that is needed right now,” DeCoteau said. “In Idaho alone, 77% of spring Chinook populations in that state are predicted to reach quasi-extinction levels by 2025. We don’t have a moment to spare.”
According to the outlines in the memorandum, relevant agencies have until Jan. 25, 2024 to conduct the mandated review and assess how their existing authorities align with the president’s goal and reform any policy conflicts with the memorandum’s stated goals. Agencies then have until May 4, 2024 to work with the federal Office of Management and Budget to provide a report on programs that could be used to advance fish protection and the resources necessary to facilitate any changes.
The calling for intergovernmental partnerships between the U.S. government and tribal governments to advance fish protection efforts is an important aspect highlighting the important role of Native nations and Indigenous knowledge in fish restoration.
What happens after the affected agencies submit their compliance proposals remains to be seen. As the dams along the lower Snake River are federally owned and operated, breaching them would require an act of Congress.
Still, state and local politicians are clear in their support for further action on fish restoration in the Columbia River Basin.
Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-OR, has repeatedly recognized the threats facing salmon in Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. Merkeley pushed for federal funding to support salmon restoration projects and recently won approval for a Federal Fishery Disaster Declaration for Oregon Chinook fisheries between 2018 and 2020, making disaster funds available to commercial fishers in Oregon affected by declining salmon fisheries.
Merkley told Street Roots he supports the efforts Biden is making with his memorandum.
“There is no doubt that the Columbia River is the lifeblood of the Pacific Northwest, and we must reaffirm our resolve to protect it for future generations,” Merkley said. “That’s why I fully support President Biden’s call for a sustained national effort — in partnership with Tribes, states, local leaders, and other stakeholders — to restore healthy and abundant salmon, steelhead, and more native fish populations in the Columbia River Basin, which are essential to the region’s economy and the culture and way of life for Tribes.
“As a Senate Appropriations Committee member and leader in Congress to restore the Columbia River Basin, I will continue to work in partnership with the Biden administration and diverse stakeholders in Oregon on this critical issue, so together we champion efforts that protect the river and the native fish that call it home.”
Oregon’s other Democratic Senator, Ron Wyden, echoed Merkley’s support of the memorandum.
“I support President Biden’s goals of supporting healthy and abundant native fish,” Wyden said. “And now there’s work ahead to come together in the Northwest and establish the best way to achieve those goals. I’m committed to putting in the work to get that job done.”
Federal entities, like the Bonneville Power Administration, have spent billions on salmon restoration efforts since the turn of the century. Despite the billions spent, salmon populations in the Columbia River Basin careen towards extinction, and other fish like steelhead and lamprey continue to suffer significant population declines.
As politicians continue to squabble over the cost-benefit analysis of dam removal and injecting funding into other fish restoration efforts, tribal nations and environmentalists are clear: the need is dire, and time for action is running out. Salmon in the Columbia River Basin are teetering on the brink of extinction.
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