ODFW responds to sudden loss of funding for Columbia River SAFE program
By Terry Murry on Monday, June 22nd, 2026 in Columbia Basin News Columbia Basin Top Stories
SALEM – The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) was notified late last week that the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) is terminating its share of funding for the Select Area Fisheries Enhancement (SAFE) Program in the Lower Columbia River beginning Sept. 30. That gave ODFW about three months’ notice for a decision it says carries major consequences for Oregon’s recreational and commercial fisheries.
ODFW says withdrawal of the funds places more than 7 million hatchery salmon currently in production at immediate risk and leaves an estimated $2.4 million funding gap across the three partners responsible for SAFE operations. In addition to ODFW, the partners are the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and Clatsop County.
“This decision by BPA caught us by surprise,” ODFW Director Debbie Colbert said. “It puts decades of fishery reform work at risk and goes against the recommendation of the regional fish and wildlife managers and the Northwest Power and Conservation Council to fund this work.”
A news release from ODFW stated:
The sudden loss of BPA’s support will have far‑reaching impacts, including:
• Major disruptions for commercial and recreational fisheries that rely on SAFE hatchery fish releases to provide predictable, sustainable harvest. In 2025 alone, landings in Oregon’s SAFE commercial fisheries contributed almost $6 million in economic impacts to fishing communities regionally. On average, approximately 34 percent of fish harvested from SAFE production programs are taken home by recreational anglers, primarily in the ocean and lower Columbia River
• Immediate operational and financial strain on state and county partners who have no viable short-term replacement for the withdrawn BPA funds.
• Risk to ongoing reforms designed to shift commercial harvest away from the mainstem and protect weak and ESA-listed stocks. ODFW, WDFW, and Clatsop County are jointly assessing the potential impacts. The agencies will also be briefing state leadership, affected communities, and fishery stakeholders in the coming days. ODFW will share more information as the agency learns more.
