John,

We have exciting news to share with you about progress for a free flowing lower Snake River!

Yesterday, the Biden-Harris Administration and the Six Sovereigns (the Nez Perce, Warm Springs, Umatilla, and Yakama Tribes, and the states of Oregon and Washington) announced a package of actions and commitments to restore Columbia and Snake River salmon as part of an agreement in ongoing litigation.

This historic package creates a clear path forward for salmon and steelhead recovery in the Columbia and Snake River basins. It will help build a more resilient Northwest in the face of climate change and uphold the treaty and trust obligations made by the federal government with the four Columbia River Treaty Tribes.

Now, we need federal agencies and members of Congress to urgently follow through on the actions and commitments identified in this package. 

Contact your elected officials today and tell them they must pledge their support for the Biden Administration’s plan to restore salmon and hold federal agencies accountable to urgently implement these critical actions.

Up until this point, the Biden-Harris administration has established abundant salmon in the Pacific Northwest as a federal priority with these actions: 

o  A $200 million commitment to reintroduce salmon in the Upper Columbia River Basin.

o  A Presidential Memorandum that directs federal agencies to act to restore salmon populations, and to uphold treaty and trust responsibilities.   

These steps will augment the Northwest salmon restoration funding provided by the federal Infrastructure Bill and Inflation Reduction Act.

In the Northwest, our future must include abundant salmon, clean and affordable energy, reliable transportation and irrigation. And we must uphold promises to Northwest Tribes. But this future depends upon the right actions and commitments now. That’s why we need federal agencies and members of Congress to follow through on the policies and actions outlined in this agreement. 

Email your federal leaders today. Make sure that they do what’s necessary to restore thriving salmon watersheds, to support our communities, and to honor treaty responsibilities.

Thank you,

Rein Attemann (he/him)
Puget Sound Campaign Manager
Washington Conservation Action

Washington Environmental Council and Washington Conservation Voters are now unified under one brand, Washington Conservation Action.