Last week, Governor Kate Brown wrote a letter to Washington Governor, Jay Inslee, voicing her support for removing the four lower Snake River dams. Dam removal in the west is a highly contested topic, as out generally pits environmentally-focused groups and the outdoor-recreation community against the agriculture, energy, and shipping industries. The four lower Snake River dams are no exception. However, after billions of dollars spent, attempting to recover the region’s wild salmon and steelhead, removing these dams may be the only viable option.
For years, Native American tribes, motivated stakeholders, and environmental organizations like Trout Unlimited have advocated the removal of these dams, and this endorsement is one of the biggest developments. In the coming months, Washington will release its final report on the impacts of breaching the four lower Snake River dams, and Gov. Kate Brown’s endorsement of their removal is a huge step in the right direction.
For more on this Pacific Northwest development, check out this article from The Oregonian
Picture courtesy of The Oregonian.
