Columbia Basin Restoration Initiative enters its 2nd year
By Terry Murry on Friday, December 27th, 2024 in Columbia Basin News Columbia Basin Top Stories
MISSION – The Columbia Basin Restoration Initiative began a year ago. Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation Board of Trustees Member Corinne Sams says there’s much work to be done in restoring wild salmon populations, but some progress has been made.
“We’ve identified a billion-dollar backlog in infrastructure which intrudes on the ability for salmon to get back to the tributaries where they spawn,” she said.
Sams is a commissioner for the Columbia River Inter-tribal Fish Commission. The initiative is being led by six tribal sovereign nations in partnership with federal, Oregon, and Washington state officials. Participating tribes are CTUIR (which includes the Cayuse and Walla Walla Tribes in addition to the Umatilla), the Nez Perce Tribe, the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs, and the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation.
The goal of the initiative is broader than restoring wild salmon populations. The partners are expected to expand Tribally-sponsored clean energy production and provide stability for the communities that depend on the Columbia River system for agriculture, energy, recreation, and transportation. The initiative also requires developing clean, reliable and affordable replacement power for the region prior to the consideration of removing existing dams on the Snake River.
