The Columbia once produced more salmon than any other river on earth, according to the leaders of the nonprofit Columbia Riverkeeper. Twenty years ago, Pacific salmon were found to have disappeared from 40% of their native rivers and streams across Oregon, Washington, Idaho and California. Scientists estimate that the number of wild salmon returning from the ocean has decreased by as much as 98%, and 28 populations of West Coast salmon and steelhead are listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act.
This year, the nonpartisan American Fisheries Society reported that “if Snake River basin salmon and steelhead are to be saved, then policymakers and stakeholders at all levels will need to implement appropriate processes and funding provisions to breach the four dams on the Lower Snake River, as well as implement all necessary habitat rehabilitation.”
Aug. 31 was the court-imposed deadline for the Biden administration to outline its plan to recover Columbia River salmon and replace the electricity, transportation, and irrigation services that the Lower Snake River dams currently provide. The administration and a coalition of tribes and environmental groups asked for a 60-day extension to continue talks.
We, the people in this democracy, have an urgent collective responsibility to save the iconic Columbia and Snake River salmon. There is no legitimate scientific debate about whether Snake River salmon need dam removal. The threat of salmon extinction is real, and it’s our responsibility to save them.
Richard Thompson, Prineville
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