Tag Archives: dams

From the Capital Press A report from an environmental group that claims the lower Snake River dams are a major source of greenhouse gases is “misleading without context,” the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says. Read the rest of the article here. Read More »

From the Capital Press Final authority to breach the four lower Snake River dams remains with the 535 members of Congress. But agricultural stakeholders, tribes and environmental groups agree on one thing: The Columbia Basin Restoration Initiative recently signed by the Biden administration, four Northwest tribes and the states of Oregon and Washington is a pathway to breaching the dams. ... Read More »

By Kurt Miller Originally published in the Spokesman-Review As we navigate the complexities of our energy future, it’s crucial to base our decisions on solid data and a comprehensive understanding of the consequences. Suggestions that we can remove productive hydropower dams (as shared in a recent op-ed by Bill Arthur and Emily Washines, “Bold blueprint for salmon restoration puts region ... Read More »

From the Capital Press U.S. District Judge Michael Simon has approved a memorandum of understanding negotiated by the Biden administration and litigants in a lawsuit over Snake River dam operations. The agreement stays the lawsuit until Dec. 13, 2028, with the possibility of another five-year extension. Read the rest of the article here. Read More »

Early Sunday morning, Washington Association of Wheat Growers’ Executive Director Michelle Hennings sat down for an interview with Fox News to stress how critical the dams are for the transportation of wheat and other products to export terminals in Portland. She made sure to stress that this is not just a local issue, but a national issue, as products from ... Read More »

House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) has announced a hearing titled “Exposing President Biden’s Plan to Dismantle the Snake River Dams and the Negative Impacts to the U.S,” scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2024. The hearing will be open to the public and press and will be live-streamed online at https://energycommerce.house.gov/. “The Columbia River System and the ... Read More »

Four members of Washington’s congressional delegation have sent a letter to the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) questioning how the U.S. government plans to finance the commitments outlined in the lower Snake River dams settlement agreement, which was released last month. The letter was sent by Reps. Kim Schrier, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, Cathy McMorris Rodgers, and Dan Newhouse. “Some language ... Read More »

The Washington Association of Wheat Growers has spearheaded a letter to Washington Gov. Jay Inslee expressing concern that his administration has been privately engaging with the U.S. government and excluding agricultural stakeholders who would be directly impacted by significant changes to the river system. “Now that the ‘package of actions and commitments’ has been daylighted, our organizations are frustrated that ... Read More »

Concerned stakeholders left out of dam breaching discussions with Administration. Pacific Northwest (PNW) agriculture groups and stakeholders, including the Washington Association of Wheat Growers, Pacific Northwest Waterways Association, The McGregor Company, Washington State Potato Commission, and Washington Farm Bureau, strongly oppose the proposed “U.S. Government Commitments in Support of the Columbia Basin Restoration Initiative and in Partnership with the Six ... Read More »

On November 29, the document entitled “U.S. Government Commitments in Support of the Columbia Basin Restoration Initiative and in Partnership with the Six Sovereigns” was made public in a letter from Pacific Northwest members of Congress to President Biden. The draft agreement is based on the Columbia Basin Restoration Initiative, a proposal to the Biden Administration from the six sovereigns ... Read More »