OREGON STATE – Governor Kate Brown shares her statement on the state’s short-term agreement for Columbia Basin dams and dam operations.
Full Statement from Governor Brown:“I’d like to thank the parties on both sides of this issue, who worked hard to craft a plan for short-term operations of the Columbia River System, giving us the time and space to work on a comprehensive, long-term solution for everyone who depends on the rivers of the Columbia Basin.
“We have no time to waste, with the Basin’s salmon and steelhead on the brink of extinction. We need a comprehensive solution that ensures robust and harvestable fish population and economic growth for agriculture and commodity transport, as well as an assessment of the replacement of the services provided by the Lower Snake River dams. The assessment should include the federal investments needed to upgrade the evolving portfolio of clean energy sources and transmission infrastructure for the region.
“I’d like to thank the Biden-Harris Administration for their commitment to work cooperatively with us, the Tribes of the Columbia Basin, and the other key parties to begin working towards implementation of a long-term solution in 2022. My administration stands ready to collaborate with all stakeholders on this effort, so we can start immediately to meet our shared goals for the region.”
A copy of the signed agreement is available here.
