New partnerships and funding aimed at restoring salmon; can also help starving orcas

The Biden administration announced new partnerships on Thursday Dec. 14th, backed by federal dollars, that will focus on restoring salmon in the Pacific Northwest. This is great news, extending beyond salmon.  

Granted, restoring salmon alone is worthy of applause, but healthier salmon numbers also will benefit starving Southern Resident orcas, which number only 75 in their latest census and depend on salmon as their primary food source. 

Here’s the main thrust of the announcement: 

1. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will invest $300 million to recover native fish and restore habitats in the Columbia River Basin. The funds will be used for “fish restoration projects” and “hatchery upgrades and maintenance.”
2. DOE will help develop one to three gigawatts of tribally-sponsored clean energy projects in the region. 

The importance of #2 is that new clean energy can replace energy produced by the Lower Snake River dams, and would, as the White House fact sheet says, “provide the region options should Congress choose to consider dam breach.” The administration notes that it isn’t “making a judgment on whether to breach the dams, nor does it have the authority to do so; that authority resides with Congress.”

We, however, do make that judgment. Breaching the dams in the Snake is the most important action we can take to recover salmon populations and restore river and ocean ecosystems. We’ve called for it for years, starting with the work of Environment Washington’s late director, Bruce Speight. 

The idea of breaching dams is gaining momentum, slowly.

It can feel somewhat unnatural to take away a means of producing energy; after all, we all need energy. But the reality is that energy — clean energy in particular — is becoming more and more abundant. And this abundance gives us options, including the option of saving salmon and orcas, and restoring nature. 

In sum, a big thank you to the Biden administration on this one, and let’s keep pushing.