SEATTLE — President Donald Trump, on Thursday, announced the withdrawal of the United States from a cooperative agreement with Washington, Oregon, and four American Indian tribes, aimed at restoring salmon numbers and supporting clean energy development for tribes in the Pacific Northwest. The agreement, known as the Resilient Columbia Basin Agreement, was previously acclaimed by the Biden administration, tribal groups, and conservationists as a landmark effort to protect the local ecosystem.
The initiative proposed to pause ongoing legal disputes regarding the federal operation of dams in the Northwest which have negatively impacted fish populations. Under the agreement, the federal government had pledged over $1 billion over the forthcoming decade to aid the recovery of dwindling salmon runs. Additionally, it committed to constructing new clean energy projects to substitute the hydropower output of the Lower Snake River dams if Congress ever decided on their removal.
However, in a statement, the White House criticized the agreement, signed during Biden’s tenure, as prioritizing climate change concerns over the nation’s need for dependable energy sources. The move to discard the deal faced backlash from conservation groups, Democratic lawmakers, and Northwest tribes.
Democratic U.S. Senator Patty Murray of Washington expressed her disapproval, denouncing Trump’s decision as uninformed and detrimental to the region’s culture and economy. She stated, “This decision is grievously wrong and couldn’t be more shortsighted.”
Historically, the Columbia River Basin was the planet’s most prolific salmon-producing river system, encompassing an area comparable to the size of Texas. It once supported at least 16 stocks of salmon and steelhead, but four have since become extinct, and seven are listed under the Endangered Species Act. Additionally, the fate of an endangered population of killer whales in the region is intertwined with the salmon runs.
The construction of key dams, such as the Grand Coulee and Bonneville in the 1930s, supplied much-needed jobs during the Great Depression and advanced hydropower and navigation. These developments established Lewiston, Idaho as the most inland seaport on the West Coast, benefitting local agriculture reliant on barge transit for crop shipment.
Despite these benefits, the dams have been identified as significant contributors to declining salmon populations. Fisheries scientists have advocated that breaching the dams in eastern Washington on the Snake River, the Columbia River’s largest tributary, is essential for salmon recovery. Doing so could open vast reaches of pristine habitat in Idaho for spawning.
The tribes, who retained fishing rights under 19th-century treaties, forecasted the looming threat to salmon populations as early as the late 1930s, anticipating obstacles for fish accessing upstream spawning grounds. Yakama Tribal Council Chairman Gerald Lewis condemned the withdrawal, remarking that it reflected a pattern of broken promises by the federal government towards tribes, contradicting Trump’s domestic energy development promises.
Republican Congress members from the Northwest primarily opposed the agreement, arguing potential economic drawbacks for the region. However, in a past proposal, Republican Rep. Mike Simpson of Idaho suggested removing earthen berms around four Lower Snake River dams to allow free river flow, advocating for an investment of $33 billion to offset dam utility loss.
Rep. Dan Newhouse, a Republican from Washington, supported the current administration’s stance, warning that dam removal might destabilize the power grid, increase energy prices, and impair grain exports.
Undeterred, the tribes, alongside the environment-focused law firm Earthjustice, vowed to persist in efforts to revitalize salmon populations despite the withdrawal. “This administration may be giving up on our salmon, but we will keep fighting to prevent extinction and realize win-win solutions for the region,” stated Earthjustice Senior Attorney Amanda Goodin, criticizing the decision as part of a pattern of anti-scientific actions by the Trump administration.