DALLESPORT — The leaders of four American Indian tribes and federal hydropower regulators on Friday celebrated a landmark agreement intended to improve fish runs in the Pacific Northwest, just days before a deadline for a new regional salmon recovery plan.
Native prayers and songs, congratulatory gifts and emotional speeches were offered all around at a traditional salmon bake at Columbia Hills State Park, overlooking the Columbia River. Tribal representatives remembered the role of salmon and steelhead in their territory and expressed hope the accord will restore fish to the river and its tributaries.
However, a fifth tribe has so far refused to sign off on the deal, the state of Oregon remains unconvinced, and environmental groups fear the agreement doesn’t go far enough to protect endangered and threatened fish in the Columbia River Basin long term.
Still to be determined: Whether the accord will stand pending a judge’s ruling on whether the latest recovery plan meets the requirements of the Endangered Species Act.
Federal agencies have struggled to produce a plan for helping salmon survive their migrations over hydroelectric dams. A judge threw out two previous proposals, known as biological opinions; the third is due Monday.
Friday’s agreement commits federal agencies to give the tribes $900 million to spend toward salmon recovery in exchange for dropping out of a lawsuit challenging dam operations.
The tribes and bands from two reservations each in Washington and Oregon have agreed to the deal: the Yakama Nation, Colville, Warm Springs and Umatilla.
“What’s being done here is best for the resource. It’s best to put our efforts into the river, rather than the courtroom,” said Ralph Sampson Jr., chairman of the Yakama Nation. “From here, we’re actually doing something about habitat restoration and increasing salmon populations.”
A total of 13 species of salmon and steelhead that pass over the dams are listed as threatened or endangered. On Thursday, NOAA Fisheries declared an economic disaster for the West Coast salmon fishery, opening the door for federal aid.
The projects may be well and good for habitat restoration, said Nicole Cordan of Save Our Wild Salmon Coalition. But the lawsuits are about salmon recovery, she said, and the judge is expected to rule on science.
“It’s really about whether those projects, with this biological opinion, actually get you to salmon recovery,” she said. “We think the answer is clear, and the answer is no.”
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