Like past plans, this one will not recover abundant salmon runs or comply with the Endangered Species Act. “We are returning to court because the Trump administration has failed Northwest salmon, tribes, fishing business, and orcas. We want abundant, healthy and harvestable runs, meaningful populations that allow people to harvest wild fish and for wild fish to fulfill their role supporting wildlife and the ecology of Idaho.”- Justin Hayes, Executive Director, Idaho Conservation League. We want to restore wild salmon and steelhead in ecological and economically significant numbers. It isn’t good enough for the many guides, outfitters, river businesses, and communities in Idaho that depend on healthy runs of fish. “The latest federal plan for dams on the Snake and Columbia Rivers completely fails Idaho. The illegal Trump administration salmon plan, however, blatantly ignores those restoration benefits.”- Glen Spain, Northwest Regional Director, Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations (PCFFA). In short, restoring salmon means restoring jobs and dollars to our economy. Studies have shown that about 25,000 family wage jobs, and more than $500 million/year in economic benefits, could be restored to the west coast economy by recovering the Columbia’s damaged salmon runs.
“The once great, but now damaged, salmon runs of the Columbia Basin, originally the largest in the world, still support valuable ocean commercial salmon fisheries from central California to Southeast Alaska. The federal plan is dangerous and does a grave disservice to the people who love to fish these rivers, and we could not let it go unchallenged.”- Liz Hamilton, Executive Director, Northwest Sportfishing Industry Association. If we lose the salmon, then we lose that hope. When we go out and fish, we’re expressing hope. We’ve seen more families out on the rivers sportfishing than ever before. “Covid has proven that people in this region harbor a deep need to get outdoors and feel safe while doing so. Restoring the magnificent runs of salmon in the Columbia and Snake Rivers remains one of the National Wildlife Federation’s highest priorities.”- Tom France, Regional Executive Director, National Wildlife Federation. “The oversight of the federal courts has been critical to ensure that our agencies and political leaders commit to salmon recovery in the Columbia Basin. What we need more urgently than ever is for our senators and members of Congress to step forward and develop a comprehensive solution that will secure a future with abundant salmon, clean energy and prosperous communities.”- Todd True, Earthjustice attorney representing the groups. So we have no choice but to begin the process of going back to court again. But the Trump administration did not listen and rubber-stamped a plan that yet again fails to take the legally-required actions necessary to protect salmon and steelhead. “Hundreds of thousands of people in the region - including tribes, scientists, energy experts, and fishing businesses - told the agencies to remove the four dams that are causing the most harm to the fish and to our communities.
The following are statements from the lawyers and plaintiff groups: The latest federal plan for dam operations relies on these new weakened regulations to support its conclusions. In the notice, the fishing and conservation groups will also challenge recent Trump administration rollbacks to the Endangered Species Act regulations, changes that a coalition of states and conservation organizations have also challenged in separate cases. The groups sending the notice have won the previous five challenges but the Trump administration continues to pursue essentially the same strategy courts have consistently rejected.Įarthjustice represents American Rivers, Idaho Rivers United, Institute for Fisheries Resources, NW Energy Coalition, Northwest Sportfishing Industry Association, Natural Resources Defense Council, Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations, Sierra Club, National Wildlife Federation, Columbia Riverkeeper, and Idaho Conservation League. This would be the sixth incarnation of a long legal fight focused on restoring endangered salmon and steelhead. Today, Earthjustice on behalf of a coalition of fishing and conservation groups sent a 60-day notice of their intent to return to court to challenge the latest federal plan for hydropower operations on the Snake and Columbia Rivers.
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