JUUstWA Signs onto NGO ltr on the Columbia River Treaty

March 14, 2023

President Joe Biden
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Washington D.C. 20500

RE: U.S.-Canada Columbia River Treaty: Expand the U.S. Entity to Improve Governance and Outcomes

Dear President Biden,

On behalf of millions of our members, we write to request that your Administration take action to improve the governance of the U.S – Canada Columbia River Treaty (“Treaty”). Specifically, we ask that you use your executive authority to expand the U.S. Entity, the body that implements the Treaty for the U.S., to include a representative(s) for the health of the river’s ecosystem. We believe this action is urgently needed and in lockstep with your Administration’s commitment to improving transparency and representation in the governance of nature’s bounty, which in the case of the Columbia River, underpins the entirety of the Northwest’s environment, culture, and economy.

As you are aware, the United States – led by the State Department – and Canada are currently negotiating to modernize this 60-year old Treaty. The U.S. negotiating position is informed by the 2013 U.S. Entity Regional Recommendation for the Future of the Columbia River Treaty after 2024, which includes recommendations to improve the health of the Columbia River ecosystem for salmon and other species. Currently, Treaty dams in Canada impact U.S. salmon runs by reducing spring and early summer flows when juvenile salmon are migrating to the ocean, reducing overall adult returns. Enhancing these flows is especially critical in low-to-moderate water years, both to improve juvenile outmigration survival as well as to keep the river cooler longer through the summer. This impact is both an environmental and a social justice issue. Fortunately, both countries, with the strong support of Tribes in the U.S. and Indigenous Nations in Canada, have elevated the health of the river as an important purpose of a modernized Treaty. As such, an additional representative(s) on the U.S. Entity will also be necessary to ensure that the implementation of the Treaty can effectively fulfill this purpose.

The U.S. Entity is currently comprised of the Bonneville Power Administration (“BPA”) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (“USACE”). We strongly believe BPA and USACE are unable to give voice to the needs of salmon and the health of the river while simultaneously speaking for hydroelectric production and flood risk management. Over thirty years of failure by these agencies to stop, much less reverse, the salmon extinction crisis in the Columbia Basin supports this conclusion. Instead, a federal agency (or agencies) with expertise and a focus on the environment, and/or Tribal nations or entities, will be far better suited to represent the needs of the river and its fish and wildlife. Please note that we are well aware of the current push to reach an agreement with Canada on a modernized Treaty as soon as possible. With this request, we are not recommending a delay in negotiations but rather ask that this change to Treaty governance be made as or before we transition from negotiation to implementation of a modernized Treaty.

We also would like to request the opportunity to schedule a virtual meeting with relevant members of your Administration soon, as well as an in-person meeting, likely in spring, to discuss these issues further. We will follow up soon for this purpose. In the meantime, if you have questions or if we can assist in any way, please contact: Joseph Bogaard at joseph@wildsalmon.org.

Thank you very much for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Joseph Bogaard, Executive Director

Save our Wild Salmon Coalition

Dan Ritzman, Director
Lands, Water, Wildlife Campaign Sierra Club

Neil Brandt, Executive Director

WaterWatch of Oregon

Lunell Haught, President

League of Women Voters of Washington

Trish Rolfe, Executive Director

Center for Environmental Law and Policy

Rev. AC Churchill, Executive Director

Earth Ministry/Washington Interfaith Power & Light

Miles Johnson, Legal Director

Columbia Riverkeeper

Mitch Cutter, Salmon & Steelhead Associate

Idaho Conservation League

Stephen Pfeiffer, Conservation Associate

Idaho Rivers United

Brian Brooks, Executive Director

Idaho Wildlife Federation

John McGlenn, President

Washington Wildlife Federation

Buck Ryan, Executive Director

Snake River Waterkeeper

Elise DeGooyer, Executive Director

Faith Action Network

Grant Putnam, President

Northwest Guides and Anglers Association

Jason Wedemeyer, Executive Director

Association of Northwest Steelheaders

Cameron La Follette, Executive Director

Oregon Coast Alliance

Steve Pedery, Conservation Director

Oregon Wild

Tom Uniack, Executive Director

Washington Wild

Amanda Parrish, Executive Director

The Lands Council

Joe Liebezeit, Interim Statewide Conservation Director

Portland Audubon

Mark Sherwood, Executive Director

Native Fish Society

Julian Matthews, Director

Nimiipuu Protecting the Environment

George Milne, President

Federation of Western Outdoor Clubs

Sarah Cloud, Executive Director

Deschutes River Alliance

Rich Simms, Founding Member

Wild Steelhead Coalition

Deborah Giles, PhD., Science and Research Director

Wild Orca

Deb Cruz, President

JUUstice Washington

Emily Cain, Executive Director

Greater Hells Canyon Council

Lynne Stone, Director

Boulder-White Clouds Council

Genia Moncada, Leadership Team, Advocacy Chair

Polly Dyer Seattle Broads
Great Old Broads for Wilderness

CC:

Brenda Mallory, Chair, White House Council on Environmental Quality Antony Blinken, Secretary, U.S. Department of State