Less than two years ago, tribal leaders celebrated a monumental agreement with the Biden administration aimed at addressing the devastation wrought by federal dam-building along the Columbia River in the Pacific Northwest.
The deal, which took two years of intense negotiations, sought to resolve long-standing lawsuits regarding the negative impact of these federal dams on the salmon population—vital to the cultural and economic well-being of the tribes for thousands of years.
Central to the agreement was a commitment by the federal government to invest billions of dollars in renewable energy sources, thereby enabling the removal of four hydroelectric dams deemed particularly harmful to salmon.
However, this agreement has now been rendered null, with President Donald Trump signing a memorandum to withdraw federal support from the deal.
Trump’s decision not only halted a broad governmental initiative aimed at restoring salmon runs in the Columbia and Snake rivers but also indicated a refusal to reconsider the removal of dams blocking the migration of these fish.
Immediate condemnation poured from tribal leaders and environmental groups committed to preserving salmon populations.
Gerald Lewis, chair of the Yakama Nation Tribal Council, stated, “The Administration’s decision to terminate these commitments echoes the federal government’s historic pattern of broken promises to tribes.”
He added that the termination will severely disrupt important fisheries restoration efforts, erase certainty for hydro operations, and likely lead to elevated energy costs and instability in the region.
Despite the initial optimism surrounding the agreement, cracks began to appear soon after it was finalized. As the Biden administration struggled to maintain its commitments, key components fell into disarray.
Following Trump’s election, his administration stalled critical studies tied to the agreement, blocked millions of dollars in funding, and slashed most of the staff responsible for salmon recovery efforts.
Biden’s assurances that he would seriously examine the removal of dams lost momentum under Trump’s leadership, which emphasized a strong preference for keeping the dams operational.
Nik Blosser, the chair of the White House task force intent on implementing the agreement, resigned in April, expressing dismay at Trump’s moves to effectively eliminate the progress he was making.
“Federal agencies who were on the hook to do the work were being destroyed through untargeted, inefficient and costly purges of federal employees,” Blosser explained in a statement.
In a public announcement, Trump’s administration labeled the commitments made by Biden’s team as “onerous” and stated that Trump’s approach reaffirms his dedication to dismantling previous administrations’ misguided priorities in favor of American energy independence.
The announcement also included a proclamation that Trump was intent on countering any executive actions that could hamper energy production and utilization.
However, this withdrawal could provoke unintended consequences, experts have warned, including potential disruptions in the seafood industry and energy production.
In April, Trump had signed an executive order intended to bolster American seafood competitiveness; revoking the Columbia River agreement paradoxically eliminated funding for programs that support fish populations necessary for this aim.
On his first day in office, he also signed an order to advance “American energy dominance,” but by rescinding the Columbia River commitments, he has rolled back vital initiatives aimed at developing new energy sources.
Blosser remarked in a LinkedIn post on the absurdity of wanting stability in power generation while simultaneously jeopardizing reliable energy infrastructures through these decisions.
In the lead-up to negotiating the Columbia River Basin agreement in 2021, the federal government had faced a series of judicial rulings that consistently favored environmental concerns over hydropower operations.
For over two decades, federal courts mandated that less water be utilized for electricity generation, compelling the government to adjust its practices in favor of the endangered fish populations.
The agreement forged with various states and tribes guaranteed a reprieve from these lawsuits for up to ten years—a promise that Trump’s administration has now invalidated.
The Bonneville Power Administration, which oversees the sale of hydroelectric energy from federal dams, had more riding on the agreement than other federal entities.
Upon the signing of the deal, Bonneville Administrator John Hairston expressed that it provided “operational certainty and reliability” without the shadows of unpredictable litigation looming over their mission.
Recent reports from Bonneville indicated that the agreement had allowed it to increase hydropower production during times of high demand, aiding in offsetting losses during a challenging financial year.
Core to this agreement was a recognition of the region’s reliance on hydropower and the necessity of developing alternative energy portfolios before contemplating dam removals.
Although the agreement did not guarantee the removal of any dams, the Biden administration had pledged to cultivate sufficient renewable energy capability to compensate for the output of four dams identified for eventual removal.
Furthermore, an evaluation aimed at balancing regional energy needs with salmon preservation was intended but ultimately fell by the wayside during Biden’s presidency.
Even projects that had garnered tribal backing and were already advancing encountered bureaucratic obstacles, rendering them ineffective in the face of Trump’s aggressive cuts to the Department of Energy.
Proponents of the Columbia River dams, notably some public utilities purchasing federal hydroelectric power, criticized the Biden administration for excluding them from vital negotiations leading up to the agreement.
Republican Representative Dan Newhouse from Central Washington expressed gratitude for Trump’s action, indicating that it safeguards the dams from perceived threats posed by the Biden administration and “extreme environmental activists”—warnings of potential disruptions to power reliability and energy pricing.
Interestingly, even critics of the Biden deal worry about a regression to the courts, where previous judicial rulings have often led to rising electricity costs.
When Bonneville can’t maintain as much hydropower for sale yet still bears the financial burden of maintaining hatcheries and habitat restoration for salmon, utility charges increase accordingly.
Scott Simms, the executive director of the Public Power Council, a non-profit representing utilities reliant on federal hydropower, expressed hope to steer clear of court-ordered dam operations that hinder every regional stakeholder.
Amanda Goodin, an attorney with Earthjustice representing environmental advocates involved in the agreement, asserted that the revocation of the deal would compel a return to litigation.
“The agreement formed the basis for the stay of litigation,” she explained, indicating that without it, the courts would no longer have a valid reason to refrain from hearing the cases that had been paused.
For the salmon populations, the implications of trumping this agreement are devastating.
As Shannon Wheeler, chair of the Nez Perce Tribe, noted, the impact on the Columbia River is profound and immediate.
He emphasized, “This action tries to hide from the truth. The Nez Perce Tribe holds a duty to speak the truth for the salmon, and the truth is that extinction of salmon populations is happening now.”
Salmon counts in both the Columbia and its major tributary, the Snake River, have dwindled to such an extent over the years that fishing—be it commercial, recreational, or tribal—has largely become feasible only through hatcheries raising millions of juvenile salmon and releasing them into the wild once they are sufficiently mature.
Reports indicate that in some years, roughly half of the Chinook salmon caught by commercial fishers in Southeast Alaska originate from Columbia River hatcheries, underscoring their crucial role in maintaining the industry.
Yet, many of these hatcheries are on the brink, with aging infrastructures and inadequate funding resulting in inflated rates of failure among baby fish.
The survival of hatchery fish into adulthood has plummeted, leading hatcheries to face challenges gathering sufficient stocks for breeding, thereby jeopardizing future fishing seasons.
Although the Biden administration had vowed to allocate around $500 million to enhance hatcheries throughout the Northwest, these funds never materialized, and Trump’s recent actions have scuttled even the remnants of that promise.
Mary Lou Soscia, a former Columbia River coordinator with the Environmental Protection Agency, lamented the dismantling of salmon recovery initiatives, likening it to “cutting off your nose to spite your face.”
She warned, “We’re losing decades of accomplishments,” and stressed that without the technical staff to make timely decisions, more salmon will die, or restoration efforts will be greatly delayed due to a lack of funding.
As differing factions grapple with the ramifications of this shift, the future of both the salmon populations and the broader ecological health of the Columbia River remains uncertain.
image source from：https://www.propublica.org/article/trump-salmon-columbia-river-tribes-deal
