Columbia-Snake River Irrigators Association Supports Lower Snake River Litigation Agreement
The CSRIA supports this action because dam breaching is effectively off the table for any conceivable future. The centerpiece for the Agreement is that the Tribes are trading dam breaching for new power resources dollars. On paper, the Tribes would be allowed to count new green resources developed under their Pacific NW Tribal Energy Program, for replacement power resources--the means to agree upon this allocation process or to implement it are for future determination, with Congressional review. In the meantime, resources may be developed to serve new regional power loads, with new revenues created.
- KENNEWICK, Wash., Dec. 14, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the Columbia-Snake River Irrigators Association, the Federal Administration has reached an agreement with the Biological Opinion (BiOp) Litigation Plaintiffs to bring close to thirty years of court action pressing for Lower Snake River (LSR) Dam breaching.
- The Plaintiffs, EarthJustice et al., Oregon, and in association with the Tribes, have accepted a Commitments Agreement with new actions posed by the U.S. Dept.
- As a Defendant-Intervener, the Columbia-Snake River Irrigators Association (CSRIA) has informed the Plaintiffs and Defendants that the Irrigators will support the Commitment Agreement, now on its way to U.S. District (OR) Federal Judge Michael Simon for final approval.
- The centerpiece for the Agreement is that the Tribes are trading dam breaching for new power resources dollars.