FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 12, 2025
CONTACTS:
Joseph Bogaard, 206-300-1003, joseph@wildsalmon.org
Tanya Riordan, 509-990-9777, tanya@wildsalmon.org
Trump Administration withdraws from the 'Resilient Columbia Basin Agreement' – undermining an historic and comprehensive approach to protect and recover imperiled salmon and invest in clean energy and other critical infrastructure
Statement from Joseph Bogaard, executive director, Save Our wild Salmon Coalition
“Salmon, orca and fishing advocates are deeply disappointed by the Trump Administration’s announcement to withdraw from the Resilient Columbia Basin Agreement (RCBA). This historic agreement between the federal government and the states, tribes and people of the Pacific Northwest created a long-sought opportunity to collaboratively restore endangered salmon populations, invest in communities and infrastructure, and address a set of linked challenges including clean energy, irrigation, transportation and recreation.
Abundant, harvestable salmon populations are essential to our identity and way of life here in the Northwest. They support economically and culturally-important tribal, commercial and recreational fisheries, and thousands of jobs in rural communities across the region.
As a keystone and indicator species, salmon also play essential roles and deliver irreplaceable benefits to our region’s marine and freshwater ecosystems. More than 100 other fish and wildlife species benefit from healthy salmon runs. Southern Resident orcas face extinction today largely due to the lack of healthy, abundant salmon populations in the Northwest's coastal waters.
This decision by the Trump Administration ignores the pressing needs, interests and values of many Tribal and non-tribal communities that strongly support salmon recovery and necessary investments to upgrade aging infrastructure, including the replacement of the services currently provided by the lower Snake River dams.
Today’s announcement by the administration to walk away from the RCBA in no way changes the status or urgency facing imperiled salmon and steelhead stocks in the Columbia Basin. Restoring abundant, fishable salmon and steelhead populations in the Columbia-Snake River Basin and across the Northwest is critical to protecting and preserving our region’s natural heritage and special way of life. Northwest conservationists and fishing people will continue to support the leadership of regional sovereigns and fight for policies and funding needed to protect, restore, and reconnect the habitats that wild salmon and steelhead require in order to restore themselves.”
