Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek directs state agencies to support Columbia Basin Restoration Initiative

On Monday, Gov. Kotek issued an executive order which directed state agencies to dedicate all necessary resources to satisfy Oregon’s commitment to restoring salmon and steelhead populations, outlined in the Columbia Basin Restoration Initiative (CBRI).

The CBRI was an historic agreement reached at the end of 2023 between the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, the Nez Perce Tribe, Oregon and Washington to address declining migratory fish populations in the region, some of which have  declined by over 90 percent.

Importantly, a portion of the CBRI involves the evaluating the feasibility of dam removal for four dams found on the Lower Snake River. These dams block salmon and steelhead from reaching pristine spawning grounds in the headwaters of the Snake River, which has literal downstream effects on the critically endangered Southern Resident orcas, who are starving without ample access to Chinook salmon.

With her executive order, Gov. Kotek has deepened Oregon’s investment in the CBRI and for doing what’s right for endangered wildlife like salmon, steelhead and Southern Resident orcas.

Overall, these actions are a step in the right direction, and we’re thankful for Gov. Kotek’s leadership on this issue.

You can read more on her executive order here.