Friday September 1, 2023
The Seattle Times —
Dam removal remains on the table on the Lower Snake River under an agreement announced Thursday, after two years of settlement talks between the federal government and tribes and conservationists.
At stake are benefits of low-cost, carbon-free power, irrigation and transportation on the Lower Snake River and survival of salmon at risk of extinction. Now the settlement talks could continue for two more months rather than the parties returning to the courtroom.
The agreement Thursday includes commitments from the Biden administration, plaintiffs, defendants and intervening parties to reach solutions to salmon survival that have the potential to resolve a long-running lawsuit. The extended stay of litigation still needs to be approved by a federal judge. The original stay was set to expire Thursday.