(VANCOUVER, WA) - - Yesterday the State of Oregon sent a 60-day notice of its intent to sue the federal government over its 2020 NOAA Fisheries Biological Opinion on Columbia River System Operations. The NOAA document examined the potential impact on fish and wildlife from proposed hydroelectric operations and found that the recommended operations were consistent with the requirements of the Endangered Species Act.
Northwest RiverPartners is highly disappointed and
concerned by Governor Kate Brown’s decision, which threatens a retrenchment in
litigation and signals a move away from genuinely collaborative discussions
that could benefit salmon, the environment, and Northwest communities.
As a co-convenor of the Four-State Process, and presumably,
as one of four parties with the final say in discussion outcomes, it is wholly
inappropriate for Oregon to consider simultaneously pursuing litigation on the
very same issues.
We fear the Governor’s decision will bring our region’s
ability to have productive conversations to a grinding halt. It is imperative
that a collaborative dialogue is upheld and that the region, as a whole, works
to restore healthy salmon populations without jeopardizing fair and equitable
access to affordable electricity for rural and other vulnerable communities.
It is well known that communities of color and other
traditionally disadvantaged groups already carry a higher utility burden than
the rest of society. The Columbia River System Operations Environmental Impact
Statement made clear that the removal of the four lower Snake River dams would
greatly increase utility costs, adding further hardship to those who are
already struggling to make ends meet during a time of economic crisis.
Further, this threatened litigation ignores a slew of
recent scientific studies which convincingly tie salmon declines to poor ocean
conditions, due largely to climate change and acidification. These issues
cannot be meaningfully addressed by Governor Brown’s preferred method of
breaching the four lower Snake River dams, and the removal of renewable
resources only furthers our climate crisis.
As a result of Oregon’s decision, many regional
stakeholders are now questioning whether those who hold differing opinions will
be welcomed to the table when the Four-State Process begins. If key stakeholders
are not included, the legitimacy of the process may be called into question. At
a time when collaboration is crucial to making real progress, actions that have
the potential to create further division are deeply troubling.
We urge Governor Brown to reconsider Oregon’s intent to
seek litigation—which is almost certain to set back years’ long efforts to
bring the region together—if she wants to truly lead a meaningful and
collaborative salmon recovery effort.
