Last June, the federal government turned its back on the Northwest when it unilaterally withdrew from the Resilient Columbia Basin Agreement, forged by the states of Washington and Oregon, four Columbia Basin Tribes, and community stakeholders – after extensive regional input. This agreement was an alternative to decades long lawsuits, and an important pathway forward to protect and recover wildlife, while meeting all the needs of impacted people and communities. After years of hard work, negotiation, and the collaborative agreements set forth in the RCBA were recklessly terminated, State, Tribal and NGO plaintiffs returned to court as the only remaining option to protect the fish that define this region – and request emergency measures to support their migration and survival.
