Oregon agencies are directed to work on the Columbia Basin Restoration Initiative
By Terry Murry on Tuesday, October 1st, 2024 in Columbia Basin News Columbia Basin Top Stories
SALEM – Gov. Tina Kotek issued directions to all state agencies to take actions necessary and work together to fulfill Oregon’s commitments to the Columbia Basin Restoration Initiative. That initiative was agreed upon by the federal government in December 2023.
“The Columbia Basin Restoration Initiative is the result of a historic, unified partnership with sovereign Tribal nations and the states of Oregon and Washington and I am committed to full implementation of our agreement over the next decade,” Kotek stated in a prepared release.
The states of Washington and Oregon worked with the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs, the Confederated Tribes of the Yakama Nation, and the Nez Perce Tribe to develop the initiative. The agreement calls for a partnership among those groups to restore wild salmon populations, expand Tribally-sponsored clean energy production, and provide stability for communities that depend on the Columbia River system for agriculture, energy, recreation, and transportation. It also requires developing clean, reliable and affordable replacement power for the region prior to consider removing existing dams on the Snake River.
