A Win for Pacific-Northwest Salmon Coming From Washington, DC

Earlier this week, the United States Supreme Court heard a 17 year-long legal battle between the State of Washington and Native American Tribes over fishing rights. The Supreme Court was deadlocked in a four to four tie, leaving the previous decision from the United States Court of Appeals for the 9^th Circuit intact. This decision mandated that the State of Washington expend billions of dollars for repairs to infrastructure that threatens and degrades salmon habitats and populations. While this primarily represents a win for Native American Tribes, this ruling will assist salmon recovery efforts in the region and should not go unnoted. In a never-ending battle for fish conservation in the Pacific Northwest, this is a huge win!

For more on this development, check out these articles by the Seattle Times and New York Times .

Also, check out these related Flylords’ stories: Hydroelectric Project on Washington’s Skykomish River Cancelled, The Olympic Peninsula, and  Save Bristol Bay.

Images from the Seattle Times and NY Times