Recommendations of Governor Inslee and Senator Murray following the Conclusion of the

Joint Federal-State Process on Salmon Recovery

COMMUNITIES ARE WILLING TO CONSIDER CHANGES IF IT MEANS

PROGRESS AND CERTAINTY

Even prior to their construction, the four Lower Snake River dams have been the subject of
intense debate. This debate has pitted communities against one another in federal courts; in
Olympia and Washington, D.C.; across our airwaves and newspapers; and in communities across
our state. Meanwhile, over the intervening decades, the Pacific Northwest’s iconic salmon runs
have continued to decline, families and businesses are confronted with increasing energy costs,
and the threats posed by climate change have become manifest and are multiplying.

That is why we decided to launch this joint federal-state process to evaluate the future of the four
Lower Snake River Dams. This process sought to lay everything on the table – to compile
existing information, solicit input from communities, Tribes, and stakeholders across
Washington state and the Pacific Northwest, and try to chart a path forward. Neither of us started
this process with any pre-determined conclusions. From the outset, we agreed that all
possibilities must be considered regarding the Lower Snake River Dams, including breaching
them as well as leaving them in place.

We have carefully considered research and studies on all sides of this issue: around salmon
decline, benefits provided by the dams, costs of mitigating or replacing those benefits, and much
more. We have held months of discussions with all stakeholders—farmers, fishers, local utilities,
environmentalists, scientists, and many others—and engaged in rigorous consultation with
regional Tribes. We have also clearly heard the demand for strong action and meaningful steps
forward on the issues presented by the Lower Snake River Dams debate -- saving our region’s
iconic salmon species, preparing for our region’s clean energy future, addressing the state’s
economic challenges and opportunities, preserving our status as one of America’s agricultural
and trade leaders, and respecting our Tribal treaty obligations.

While we have heard disagreement and intensity of feeling, we have also seen clear areas of
common agreement. People of every perspective share a desire to see progress on the underlying
issues and relief from the uncertainty created by litigation for the communities that rely on the
river. We have heard a new willingness to consider changes to the Lower Snake River Dams, in
whole or in part, that would have been inconceivable just a few years ago. And we have heard
universal recognition that protecting salmon, acting against climate change, strengthening our
region’s economy, and addressed the centuries of injustice visited upon the region’s Tribes
should be core components of any path forward. The present moment affords us a vital
opportunity to build on these areas of agreement, and we firmly believe that the region cannot
afford another fifty years of confrontation, litigation, and acrimony over the Lower Snake River
Dams.

THE BENEFITS OF THE LOWER SNAKE RIVER DAMS MUST BE REPLACED OR

MITIGATED BEFORE BREACHING
The Joint Federal-State Process makes clear that – with adequate investment and coordination -
it is possible to replace most of the services and benefits provided by the Dams in the event of
breach and to mitigate the loss of others. Simultaneously, it has made plain that key
infrastructure, energy, and other investments are needed to responsibly breach. Additionally, the
independent consultant’s report is also clear that some communities on the lower Snake River
would experience fundamental changes, and that some industries relying on the Dams would no
longer be viable. We take these impacts extremely seriously, and any approach involving
breaching of the Lower Snake River Dams must provide opportunity for all the communities that
would bear these impacts.

For this reason, we are adamant that in any circumstance where the Lower Snake River
Dams would be breached, the replacement and mitigation of their benefits must be pursued
before decommissioning and breaching. This is especially true in ensuring that reliable,
dispatchable, and carbon-free energy is available and operating. Some assert that energy scarcity
and environmental calamity are inevitable results of changing our approach to hydropower on
the Lower Snake River Dams, and that doing so will derail the Pacific Northwest’s
decarbonization goals as we confront the climate crisis. We believe that is an oversimplified
binary choice, and it is one that we do not accept or see as inevitable.

Replacement of clean energy benefits will require substantial additional work and investment.
The four Lower Snake River Dams provide the region with reliable, dispatchable, and carbon-
free energy. Notwithstanding, today, there are clean energy generating resources moving their
way through regional approval processes that if built, will provide replace the generating
capacity of these dams – severalfold, by some estimates. Replacing the characteristics of energy
provided by hydropower, however, requires energy technologies that must continue to be
developed. There are also numerous categories of replacement strategies – for agriculture and
irrigation, outdoor recreation, transportation, and more – that the independent consultant report
demonstrated are not yet sufficiently developed from a technical or financial standpoint to
implement. And crucially, the ultimate decision to breach the Lower Snake River Dams lies with
the Congress, which must authorize and appropriate on this matter.

None of these steps are beyond our capability. Indeed, we have no choice but to pursue them.
The clean energy provided by the Lower Snake River Dams constitutes only a small fraction of
the new generating and transmission capacity that our region must build – just over 3.4%
according to the most recent E3 report. As such, replacing that capacity does not meaningfully
alter what we must already accomplish. Even so, breach is not a feasible option in the near-term.

ACTION IS NEEDED NOW TO MAKE BREACHING A VIABLE FUTURE OPTION

To resolve this tension, the federal and state governments should move forward with a program
to replace the benefits provided by the Lower Snake River Dams, consistent with the Pacific
Northwest’s clean energy requirements and decarbonization future, so that breaching of the
Lower Snake River Dams is a pathway that can be credibly considered by policymakers in the
future.
To establish breach of the Lower Snake River Dams as a realistic and actionable option, we must
focus on short- and medium-term actions to invest in the region’s transportation network and
electrical grid. Importantly, we must also aggressively pursue projects and initiatives to restore
habitat and support salmon recovery throughout the Columbia River Basin and the Puget Sound.
The combination of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act,
as well as other federal investments, provides an excellent opportunity to meet our national
decarbonization goals, accelerate the deployment of existing and new renewable energy sources,
and protect the future of critically important species.

We must resolve the areas of uncertainty identified through this Process. Here, the federal
government has an irreplaceable role to play regarding the fate of these federally regulated dams.
Federal agencies have the scale of resources necessary for this technical and engineering work in
areas such as irrigation and agriculture, transportation, recreation, and more. Political
controversy, legal conflict, or inconvenience should not be used as excuses for failing to
complete this work. The federal government must act swiftly to provide the information
necessary so that the whole region – not merely system operators – may make accurate,
complete, and well-understood decisions regarding whether to breach.

We must also act with determination on siting and permitting the energy and infrastructure
construction necessary to change at this scale. This is an unavoidable task for us even without
consideration of the future of the Lower Snake River Dams given the volume of clean energy
generation and transmission needed to meet the requirements of the Clean Energy
Transformation Act, the Climate Commitment Act, and other nation-leading laws that we have
on the book in Washington state. Replacing the energy production of the Lower Snake River
Dams is achievable given our existing commitments, the amount of regional clean energy
generation already in development, and the federal resources available. But moving from the
realm of the possible into reality requires getting these resources built in an effective, efficient
manner. We can do so in a manner that is responsible and environmentally safe, that addresses
the concerns of communities, and that respects the Treaty rights and cultural imperatives of
Tribal sovereigns. But we must do this work, and the State of Washington intends to lead in this
regard.

Even as we pursue these matters, we know that the cost associated with the replacement of the
Lower Snake Dams is enormous, over any timeframe. The independent consultant’s report
estimates breaching costs of between $10 billion and $31 billion, with many anticipated costs
still not available, meaning it will be necessary to refine our understanding of how to optimize
thee investments. The report also identifies the critical need for significant federal investment to
ensure that the costs of replacing the energy provided by the Dams does not unduly fall upon
ratepayers. We support such investments, and reject the suggestion that transitions in our energy
system must necessarily result in burdensome costs to families and businesses.

STATUS QUO IS NOT A RESPONSIBLE OPTION; EXTINCTION OF SALMON IS

CATEGORICALLY UNACCEPTABLE

We do not take lightly the significance of the work ahead. But it is necessary because the Lower
Snake River Dams, Eastern Washington, and our entire region are experiencing enormous
transition that is impacting our energy system, our climate, and our economy. And it is the
responsibility of policymakers to plan for changing circumstances and to consider the needs of
our state 25, 50, and 100 years into the future.

When we look that far ahead, we see Washington state’s hydropower system continuing to play a
vital role in our energy and economic future. But make no mistake: even given relatively
favorable returns in certain years, salmon and other species in Washington state face a dire
future. When we look into the future, it is all too conceivable to see a future without salmon,
without steelhead. The independent consultant report has made clear the depth of loss that has
already been experienced by species and by the communities that have a sacred relationship with
them, as well as the industries and communities that rely on them.

There are multiple threats contributing to the decline of salmon runs across Washington state,
from worsening water quality to overfishing to predation and loss of spawning habitat. The work
of the NOAA Columbia Basin Partnership makes it abundantly clear just how far we are from
sustainable species levels in our region. This trend must be reversed. The science is clear that –
specific to the Lower Snake River – breach of the dams would provide the greatest benefit to the
salmon. Salmon runs in the Lower Snake River are uniquely impacted by the dam structures
relative other watersheds, and the waters of the lower Snake River have unique potential for
robust aquatic ecosystem and species recovery. It is vitally necessary that we make progress on
the comprehensive approach to species recovery in the Columbia Basin that the Biden
administration has committed to developing as part of the stay agreement reached on August 4th
in NWF et al. v. NMFS et al.

Fish science tells only part of the story, however. The construction of the Lower Snake River
Dams resulted in harms to Tribal sovereigns and violations of Tribal treaties that were predicted
by the federal government even at the time of their construction. Not only did the original
construction of the Federal Columbia River Power System inflict real and lasting harm on
sovereign Tribes, but these Tribes have not benefitted equally from the establishment of the
dams. Tribes continue to grapple with declining salmon runs that have long been foundational to
their cultural identity and economic wellbeing.

Extinction of salmon, orca, and other iconic species in the Pacific Northwest is categorically
unacceptable to us, and we will not permit Washington state to lose its salmon. We must move
forward in a way that restores our salmon populations and acknowledges and redresses the harms
to Tribes while responsibly charting the course to an energy and economic future for Washington
state and the region. It is for these reasons that we previously stated that breaching of the Lower
Snake River Dams should be an option, and why we believe, at the conclusion of this Process,
that it must be an option we strive to make viable.

WE COMMIT TO DOING OUR PART AS LEADERS TO MAKE THIS VISION A

REALITY

We can no longer afford to be pitted against one another because of an intractable and
unproductive choice between species and dams. The consequences of doing so are simply too
severe. We can, and must, adapt in ways that strengthen our energy system, forestall the
extinction of iconic species, and protect the rights of treaty Tribes while providing economic
opportunity for the entire region. A great deal of work remains to resolve the technical and
financial questions that remain, and it is time to transition from endless debate and litigation to
taking concrete steps now that ensure every option is available to policymakers.

As this Joint Federal-State Process was underway, new developments are providing an
unprecedented opportunity to reach solutions that serve everyone that relies on the dams, the
river, and the salmon: the year-long stay agreed to on August 4th by litigants in NWF et al. v.
NMFS et al.; the commitment by the Biden administration to negotiate toward a regionwide
solution to salmon recovery; and the passage of landmark federal investments in clean energy,
climate, and infrastructure. We are determined to seize this opportunity, and everyone in
Washington state and our region has an obligation to work constructively to do so

We, as elected leaders and policymakers, have a unique and important role to play, but we
cannot do it alone. It will require honest conversations about our region’s economic, energy, and
cultural needs, renewed willingness to consider all possible options for salmon recovery by
federal action agencies, and an openness to the perspectives of neighbors with whom we might
disagree. Much will depend on what the people of Washington state, and the region, choose from
here. But we are committed to doing our part to build the current opportunity to find a
constructive path forward on the lower Snake River. We commit to:

• Complete and/or authorize projects that will substantially expand salmon habitat and
passage throughout the Columbia River Basin and the Puget Sound. Examples of these
efforts include work currently underway at Mud Mountain and Howard Hanson dams,
design and engineering work for new fish passage at the Chief Joseph and Grand Coulee
dams, and the backlog of smaller-scale restoration, hatchery and remediation work
throughout the Basin. Roughly one billion dollars in backlogged projects have been
identified in the pipeline for action.

• Work with Tribes, co-managers, and impacted stakeholders to determine a plan to more
efficiently and effectively distribute salmon funding. Specifically, this will include an
effort to transition implementation of NWPCC’s Fish and Wildlife Program from BPA to
state and tribal fisheries co-managers.

• Governor Inslee intends to request legislation and utilize other authorities of his office to
dramatically improve the siting process necessary to build the clean energy generation
and transmission resources needed for this work, as well as other categories of
infrastructure. Specifically, the goal will be to accelerate the prospects for siting and
permitting of the advanced energy technologies needed to supplement wind, solar, and
demand response practices, including but not limited to pumped storage reservoirs,
offshore wind, hydrogen-based systems, and more. The State of Washington commits to
undertaking this effort in close and meaningful consultation with Tribal governments.
 • Leverage the historic investments made in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and
the Inflation Reduction Act to support energy replacement, infrastructure enhancement,
and salmon recovery and habitat restoration.

• Secure additional funds for research into salmon and marine ecosystem health. Bolster
research such as the oceanic ecosystem’s impacts on the lifecycle of the region’s salmon.

• The Lower Snake River Dams Benefit Replacement Report identifies the need for further
detailed transportation analysis, focusing primarily on potential highway and road
impacts that would result from the elimination of barging on the lower Snake River.
Governor Inslee will seek such an analysis from the Washington State Department of
Transportation.

• Build upon recent increased investment and continue to push for more funding for the
Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund and the Environmental Protection Agency’s
Puget Sound Regional Program

• Governor Inslee has pursued statewide salmon recovery efforts, including securing one of
the largest investments in salmon recovery in state history during the 2022 legislative
session. Governor Inslee’s 2023 legislative agenda will include new, robust salmon
recovery investments, legislation, and other actions to improve the health of our oceans,
coastal areas, and rivers, including the Snake.

We thank everyone who has contributed to this Joint Federal-State Process, especially the
thousands of Washingtonians who weighed in with comments and suggestions. We look forward
to partnering closely with Democrats and Republicans, with stakeholders from every community,
and with Tribes from across the Pacific Northwest, at this critical moment of opportunity.