Below is a press release issued by a coalition of fishing and conservation organizations, of which NSIA is a part, in response to Governor Inslee and Senator Murray’s final report released on August 25, 2022:
Association of Northwest Steelheaders
Columbia Riverkeeper
Defenders of Wildlife
Earthjustice
Idaho Conservation League
Idaho Rivers United
National Wildlife Federation
Natural Resources Defense Council
Northwest Sportfishing Industry Association
NW Energy Coalition
Sierra Club
Save Our wild Salmon Coalition
Trout Unlimited
SNAKE RIVER: Energy, fishing, and conservation groups respond to Sen. Murray’s & Gov. Inslee’s presumptive plan for dam replacement
SEATTLE—Groups across the Northwest today called on elected leaders from the region to fulfill their commitment to salmon restoration in the Columbia Basin, including breaching the four lower Snake River dams as soon as possible.
On Thursday, Washington Sen. Patty Murray and Gov. Jay Inslee released recommendations on the dams, as well as a final report on replacing their services. The officials said they are committed to action that will make dam breaching viable, noting that extinction of salmon and the orca that feed on them is “categorically unacceptable.” They stressed the need for immediate action to replace—or mitigate—the dams’ services in advance of breaching.
Organizations called Sen. Murray’s and Gov. Inslee’s recommendations a presumptive path to dam replacement.
In a statement, Gov. Inslee said that the status quo is not an option, and that saving salmon is imperative. “The state and federal governments should implement a plan to replace the benefits of the Lower Snake River Dams to enable breaching to move forward,” Inslee said.
“We will not permit Washington state to lose its salmon,” the governor and senator promised in their recommendations.
Organizations said they would hold state and national leadership accountable to their commitment to expeditious movement, which organizations said includes breaching the dams by the end of the decade.
Liz Hamilton, Executive Director, Northwest Sportfishing Industry Association, had this to say about the final report: “NSIA will be forever grateful to leadership that recognizes that for fish and the fishing industry to succeed, we all must succeed. Our industry has paid the price for the decimation of Snake River stocks, and we are eager to get to work with other leaders in the region to modernize our power, irrigation and transportation systems. Leadership that brings us together for solutions will bring salmon, steelhead, and our industry back from the brink. But we need to start today in order to preserve these iconic fish runs and the communities that depend upon them.”