Leaked Court Mediation Document Listing ‘Actions And Commitments’ For Basin Salmon Recovery Draws Objections, Questions
November 30th, 2023
A draft agreement mediated by the Biden Administration outlining investments in Columbia River basin salmon and steelhead recovery that was to remain confidential until mid-December was leaked early this week by Washington and Oregon members of Congress.
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DOJ Proposes $33.2 Million Settlement To Compensate For Damages From Pollutants, Oil Discharges Into Willamette River, Portland Harbor
November 16th, 2023
The U.S. Department of Justice this month announced a proposed settlement valued at approximately $33.2 million to compensate for natural resource injuries that resulted from hazardous substance releases and oil discharges into the Willamette River and Portland Harbor in Oregon.
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Republican U.S. House Members Request All CEQ Documents Related To Mediation, Settlement Discussions On Lower Snake Dams
November 16th, 2023
U.S. Rep. Cliff Bentz, R-OR, who represents eastern, central and southern Oregon is requesting the White House Council on Environmental Quality release documents related to CEQ's role in mediation and settlement discussions regarding the Lower Snake River Dams.
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Columbia/Snake Salmon Recovery Lawsuit On Hold Again As Parties Seek Buy-In On ‘Actions And Commitments’ Not Yet Made Public
November 3rd, 2023
Parties to the lawsuit challenging the federal government’s 2020 environmental impact statement and biological opinion for imperiled salmon and steelhead traversing Columbia/Snake River federal dams have developed a package of “actions and commitments” that they will present to regional partners to get buy-in over the next 45 days.
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Group Sues NMFS Over Orcas Being Killed In Bering Sea Trawl Nets, Wants Immediate Mitigation To Reduce Bycatch
October 26th, 2023
The Center for Biological Diversity filed a formal notice this week of its intent to sue the National Marine Fisheries Service for what it says is a failure to protect marine mammals from being killed by the Bering Sea Aleutian Islands groundfish trawl fisheries.
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In Largest Wildlife Damage Claim In Oregon History, ODFW Lawsuit Alleges Water Control District’s Work Killed More Than 500,000 Pacific Lamprey
October 12th, 2023
A claim for $27.6 million in damages was filed in a Douglas County Circuit Court in Oregon claiming that more than half a million juvenile Pacific lamprey died in August during repairs to Winchester Dam, located on Oregon’s North Umpqua River.
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Group Files Lawsuit Against USFWS Over Lack Of ESA Protection For American Bumblebees
October 12th, 2023
The Center for Biological Diversity filed a formal notice this week of its intent to sue the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for failing to protect four imperiled bee species, including American bumblebees, under the Endangered Species Act. Southern Plains bumblebees, variable cuckoo bumblebees and blue calamintha bees are also included in today’s filing.
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Biden Administration Says BPA To Provide $200 Million Over 20 Years To Advance Salmon Reintroduction In Upper Columbia River Blocked Areas
September 22nd, 2023
The Biden administration this week announced that the Bonneville Power Administration will provide three Upper Columbia River Tribes $200 million over 20 years for ongoing efforts to reintroduce salmon above Grand Coulee and Chief Joseph dams, which have blocked fish migration since 1942. The Tribes have agreed to a twenty-year pause to existing litigation while these actions are pursued.
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Columbia Riverkeeper, Vancouver Port Reach Agreement To Reduce Water Pollution Into Columbia River; Port To Spend Over $25 Million
September 15th, 2023
Columbia Riverkeeper and the Port of Vancouver USA this week reached an agreement settling a Clean Water Act lawsuit challenging years of alleged unlawful water pollution from the public port. In the settlement, the port committed to make significant changes to reduce the amount of water pollution that flows off the 1643-acre property and into the Columbia River.