L-R Sierra Club Oregon staff Damon Motz-Storey, Alice Weston, Emily Bowes, and the author Bill Arthur right
By Bill Arthur and Irene Vlach
Sierra Club, Snake/Columbia River Salmon Campaign
Some Progress Despite Trump Terminating Salmon Agreement
It’s been a fast start to 2026 for salmon advocates with Sierra Club and our allies engaging agency, judicial, and legislative actions to advance protection and recovery actions. While the battle with the Trump administration and federal agencies remains an ongoing challenge some important milestones have been achieved.
The Court Delivers Help
On February 25th, U.S. District Court of Oregon Judge Michael H. Simon approved key portions of the injunctive relief that Sierra Club and other plaintiffs requested to help salmon while the overall litigation moves forward. Take a moment to read the press release from EarthJustice and affiliated plaintiff groups. Oregon was also a plaintiff in the case and provided important support for obtaining the injunction. We very much appreciate Governor Kotek's continued leadership for protecting and restoring our salmon and steelhead.
In large measure, Judge Simon approved the higher spill levels on the lower Snake and Columbia Rivers and also extended the spill through the end of August which is important for later migrating fall chinook smolts. The wild juvenile salmon and steelhead that out-migrate throughout August make up a disproportionately large share of the wild adults that return to the Columbia and Snake Rivers. It is important to protect this genetic diversity. Spilling water through the spillways is the best way to safely pass young salmon around the dams as they migrate to the ocean.
Judge Simon maintained reservoir pool levels consistent with 2025 operations – put in place as part of the agreement with the Biden Administration – that the Trump Administration has terminated. It was clear that Judge Simon was frustrated with the ongoing intransigence from the Bonneville Power Administration and other defendants to deny the science and actually attempt to reduce spill and water flows essential for salmon.
We anticipate this decision will animate some of the historic opposition, including their congressional allies (Rep. Bentz, Senator Risch et. al) to attempt to undermine this decision by adding provisions to the appropriations bills or other must pass legislation. We have beat these efforts back previously but need to be prepared to do so again.
Snake River Dam
Great Team Effort Delivers Message of Strong Public Support for Salmon
As the Northwest Power and Conservation Council (NPCC or the Council) took its Draft Fish and Wildlife Program on the road across the Pacific Northwest (PNW) for public comment, Sierra Club showed up strong on behalf of wild salmon, winning the turnout and testimony battle solidly in Portland, Spokane, Boise, Yakima, Seattle, and more than holding our own in Bend, and providing decent turnout in historically tough turfs of Lewiston and Kalispel. Additionally, our digital advocates showed up in full force for the webinar hearing on February 24th.
Over 100 people testified and more than 1200 comments were submitted. Sierra Club’s Chapter and Group leaders across the PNW worked diligently to increase turnout and identify speakers to testify. This was a major effort, and all three Chapters (ID, OR, WA) were fully engaged, doing an overall stellar job.
The Council will now review the comments, evaluate them, and issue a final decision / update on its Fish and Wildlife Program later this spring. A big thank you to all and especially to everyone who attended and/or testified.
Federal Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2027 Underway
Despite the efforts of the Trump Administration, federal funding for salmon funding in Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 came in nearly as strong as previous years thanks to the good work of Senator Murray, Senator Merkley and Wyden, along with many of the House members in the Northwest congressional delegation. The Six Sovereigns (The States of Oregon and Washington, and the four lower Columbia River Treaty Tribes) have now finalized their recommendations for the FY 27 budget year, and Sierra Club and 58 other Non-Government Organization (NGO) partners have signed a letter supporting these recommendations, as we’ve done in years past. The recommendations focus on funding habitat protection and restoration, water quality, and upgrades to hatcheries and other actions that help salmon in the near term. Here is the phone number for the Capitol Switchboard (202-224-3121) so you can call your member of congress and senators to support this funding request and oppose any legislative efforts that undermine salmon recovery.
Appreciation and Opportunity
We want to give a huge shout of thanks to everyone who engaged in these processes and actions. We did a stellar job of generating public turnout and testimony for the hearings on NPCC's Draft Fish and Wildlife Program. And we applaud the decision by Judge Simon in Federal District Court that provides important near-term relief for our salmon and steelhead.
These are significant milestones that provide help to our beleaguered salmon and steelhead runs. Many Sierra Club members helped achieve this success. Much more remains to be done but take a moment to appreciate the progress, then take action to support the Six Sovereigns and their push for federal funding in FY 2027.