Murray, Cantwell Celebrate Historic Tribal Agreement to Restore Salmon in Upper Columbia River Basin

Agreement between the federal government and Colville, Spokane, and Coeur d’Alene Tribes will fund Tribal efforts to return salmon and restore habitat in the Upper Basin

Washington, D.C. – Yesterday, U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, announced a historic agreement between the United States, the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, the Coeur d’Alene Tribe, and the Spokane Tribe of Indians to support efforts to reintroduce salmon to the Upper Columbia River Basin.

The Bonneville Power Administration will provide $200 million over the next 20 years and the Department of the Interior will provide $8 million over two years through the Bureau of Reclamation to support these efforts.

“This is a historic agreement and a great step in the right direction. We need to be doing everything we can to restore salmon populations in Washington state—it’s a foundational part of our economy and culture and a serious part of meeting our Tribal Treaty obligations. As Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee I am pushing to deliver the strongest possible investments in salmon recovery across the government, and I was proud to secure $5 million to help reintroduce salmon to the Upper Columbia in last year’s funding bills. I applaud the Biden-Harris Administration’s leadership in brokering this agreement and for their commitment to honoring our longstanding and sacred commitments to Tribal Nations and taking action to preserve critical species and habitats in the face of worsening climate disasters,” said Senator Murray.

“The Colville, Spokane, and Coeur d’Alene Tribes have worked for generations to bring back lost salmon to their people. This landmark agreement will work to help restore salmon, steelhead, and native resident fish populations using a combination of science, habitat restoration, and engineering efforts to return fish to the Upper Columbia River Basin,” said Senator Cantwell.

Go HERE to read the full White House announcement.

Throughout their time in the Senate, Senators Murray and Cantwell have been champions for protecting and strengthening critical salmon populations. Senators Murray and Cantwell secured a historic $2.85 billion investment in salmon and ecosystem restoration programs, including $400 million for a new community-based restoration program focused on removing fish passage barriers in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

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