by MATTHEW DALY Associated PressWashington Gov. Jay Inslee, third from left, stands with Chair Gerry Lewis of the Yakama Nation, fourth from left, as they and others pose for a photo following a ceremonial signing ceremony in Washington, Friday, Feb. 23, 2024.
“The Yakama Nation will always fight to protect and restore the salmon because, without the salmon, we cannot maintain the health of our people or our way of life,'' Lewis said, adding that Columbia Basin salmon are dying from the impacts of human development. The agreement, formally known as the Columbia Basin Restoration Initiative, “deserves to be celebrated,'' said Jonathan W. Smith, chairman of the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation.
Dams are a main culprit behind the salmon’s decline, and federal fisheries scientists have concluded that breaching the dams in eastern Washington on the Snake River, the largest tributary of the Columbia, would be the best hope for recovering them, providing the fish with access to hundreds of miles of pristine habitat and spawning grounds in Idaho.
The Snake River dams “helped transform Eastern Washington into one of the most productive agricultural regions in the world,'' including 40% of America’s wheat, Rodgers said in a statement.
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