SPOKANE, Wash., Oct. 31, 2007 – Inland Northwest business and community leaders today joined with conservation, clean-energy and taxpayer advocates to call for region-wide consideration of removing the four lower Snake River dams to solve the deepening crisis over Columbia basin salmon.
Their comments came in response to the release of a new draft Biological Opinion from NOAA Fisheries that salmon advocates say fails to do enough to recover imperiled salmon runs in the Columbia-Snake River basin. NOAA Fisheries rewrote the federal salmon plan under court order from federal Judge James Redden, who declared the 2004 version illegal – a ruling later upheld by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.
“For years, the debate over the future of Columbia & Snake River salmon, and whether to remove the four lower Snake River dams, has been cast as a clash between energy and environmental interests, of fishermen against farmers. But this is a false choice,” said Don Barbieri, chairman of Spokane-based Red Lion Hotels. “Many business owners and community leaders recognize that quality of life and abundant recreation opportunities offer the Inland Northwest a growing competitive edge. Trading four dams for a restored river, abundant salmon and a modernized transportation system could leave the Northwest economy and its communities with a brighter future.”
In addition to the harm all four dams bring to the basin’s endangered salmon, Lower Granite Dam in particular poses an increasing flood risk to the inland communities of Clarkston, Wash., and Lewiston, Idaho, due to the massive amounts of sediment accumulating behind it.
“This plan fails the salmon and it fails our communities, said Dustin Aherin of Lewiston-based Citizens for Progress. “To move forward, we need a credible and legal salmon recovery plan. What we don’t need is another turn on the Biop merry-go-round. Instead, we should look at what dam removal could mean for Lewiston and Clarkston. If we do it right, it can mean reduced flood risk, a restored waterfront, a lucrative recreation industry, a vibrant business climate — and economic certainty.”
“Our region faces a do-or-die decision – either remove these dams and truly restore wild salmon and salmon-dependent communities, or allow both to wither away,” said Sara Patton, executive director of NW Energy Coalition, a regional clean-energy and consumer-protection alliance. “Electric ratepayers keep paying and paying for measures that can’t possibly restore threatened and endangered Columbia Basin fish or help those living, working and doing business in salmon-dependent communities. New jobs and economic development will more than compensate for removing these four dams and replacing their limited energy production with energy efficiency and affordable new renewable power.”
“It is time for the Northwest’s elected leaders to stop standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the Bush administration to protect the status quo, and start helping Columbia and Snake river communities forge a new vision for the future,” said Michael Garrity of American Rivers. “With smart investments in transportation, renewable energy, and irrigation infrastructure, we can affordably replace the limited benefits of the four lower Snake dams. A one-time investment in removing these dams and replacing their benefits makes a lot more sense for taxpayers and local communities than continuing to throw money at a plan that’s a demonstrated failure.”
Following a public comment period, a final version of the plan is expected in late January, 2008.
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The new draft salmon plan from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - (NOAA) Fisheries was delivered to Honorable Judge James Redden’s court on October 31st. Even before the ink was dry, opponents of the federal hydro system called the latest salmon plan “more of the same.” This is disingenuous, disturbing and inconsistent with the facts.
Under Judge Redden, the U.S. District Court significantly advanced the region’s ongoing conversation and actions regarding how the needs of wild Northwest salmon and steelhead are met under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). However, some voices from the periphery seem unable - or unwilling - to acknowledge that progress is being made.
One key difference and an important legacy of the Redden court is the fact that the Judge required the new salmon plan be developed with input from all regional constituents involved: the four Northwest states, 13 Indian tribes and the four responsible federal agencies. This is in stark contrast to past plans developed solely by the federal agencies. It also explains why this plan enjoys more support than past efforts.
Another important improvement is that this plan takes real and current scientific information gathered at the watershed level and applies it to the problems facing fish as they move to and from the Pacific Ocean. This has resulted in an exponential increase in our knowledge of what these fish encounter throughout their life cycles; and, provides a scientific roadmap to address the critical bottlenecks in their recovery.
This plan also guarantees that substantial project funds will be spent where needed. More than $1.5 billion will be invested overall including improving fish passage at dams, with survival rates expected to be in the 96-98% range, and operational changes made to assist fish. Significant habitat restoration funds are provided for key tributaries, the critical Lower Columbia estuary and for new predation controls.
So why is there no acknowledgement of this progress by the coalition of dam opponents and harvest interests? Why do they immediately dismiss the new draft plan as “nothing new” before it was even released in its final form?
The answer likely lies in the fact that current science identifies harvest levels and the now-controversial mass production of hatchery fish as key barriers to recovery - in addition to hydro operations and habitat degradation. Protecting these interests is paramount to this coalition. Further, this strange coalition’s monotonous drumbeat for dam removal appears to be in the belief that more attention on dams means less attention on how their interests contribute to the salmon recovery problem.
This stance is particularly ironic given how critical the hydrosystem is in keeping the Northwest’s carbon footprint small, and as the only clean (and renewable) backup for renewable wind and solar energy resources.
The draft plan from NOAA-Fisheries is hardly the status quo and it only takes cracking the cover to recognize that. The plan was developed with the collaboration of all constituents and includes the most rigorous study of each ESA-listed fish stock ever done to inform recovery efforts. We hope the current draft will mark the beginning of a new regional dialogue where this science is applied to all areas of concern uniformly, and will include decisions regarding harvest levels and hatchery practices, two critical parts of any successful salmon solution.
Terry Flores is executive director of Northwest RiverPartners, an alliance of farmers, utilities, and businesses that promotes science-based and cost-effective salmon recovery.
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