Friday March 24, 2023
The Lewiston Tribune —
President Joe Biden pledged Monday to work with tribal and political leaders of the Pacific Northwest to recover salmon runs that spawn in the Columbia River and its tributaries.
Biden spoke at a White House Conservation Summit at which he announced several high-level environmental initiatives including his use of the Antiquities Act to establish national monuments in Nevada and Texas and an ocean preserve near Hawaii. The president reserved his remarks about salmon for the end of his speech and mistakenly referenced the Colorado instead of the Columbia River.
“I’m also committed to working with the tribal leaders here, as well as Senator Patty Murray, Maria Cantwell and Representative Mike Simpson to bring healthy and abundant salmon runs back to the Colorado River system,” Biden said.
Representatives of Native American Indian tribes from across the country attended the summit including Samuel N. Penney, chairperson of the Nez Perce Tribe and tribal vice-chairperson Shannon Wheeler.