Environment Trump breaks historic Columbia River deal between U.S. government, tribes, NW states
A “historic” deal made two years ago between the U.S. government, four tribes, Northwest states and environmentalists to put legal battles aside and invest in restoring endangered Columbia River fish runs is now off.
President Donald Trump on Thursday signed a presidential memorandum withdrawing the U.S. government from a Dec. 14, 2023 agreement to help restore salmon, steelhead and other native fish being decimated by federal hydroelectric dams in the Columbia River Basin. The memorandum refers to the commitments as “onerous,” “misguided” and as placing “concerns about climate change above the nation’s interests in reliable energy resources.”
The 2023 agreement was reached after decades of legal battles that pitted the federal government against four Lower Columbia River tribes and environmental groups backed by the states of Oregon and Washington.
Groups behind the suits said they would forge on, and legal battles will likely reopen.
https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/06/12/trump-breaks-historic-columbia-river-deal-between-u-s-government-tribes-northwest-states/
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