Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 1, 2024)
8 AUGUST 1, 2024 SMOKE SIGNALS Kathleen George co-hosts press conference on hydropower report By Danielle Harrison WILLAMETTE RIVER BASIN DAMS PRODUCING HYDROPOWER Smoke Signals staff writer TRIBAL VETERANS SERVICE OFFICE Tribal Council member Kathleen George co-hosted a virtual press conference on Thursday, July 11, regarding the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers not meeting a congres- sionally-man- dated deadline for a report on the effects of hydropower in the Willamette River Basin dams. George was joined by Na- Kathleen George tive Fish Soci- ety Legislative and Policy Director Jennifer Fairbrother. According to a press release from Signal Group, which organized the conference, the Willamette River Basin dams are driving native salmon populations to extinction and burdening Oregon communi- ties with higher energy bills from an uneconomical power source. “It’s important to share why this is something that is really worthy of attention,” George said. “The Army Corps of Engineers was supposed to submit the report on deautho- rizing hydropower at two dams in the Willamette Valley that creates serious migration problems for fish. Despite this clear deadline, that report has not arrived. A late report generally wouldn’t be newsworthy but in this case, it was a critical report the entire region is waiting for…Our Willamette River salmon and steelhead are out of time and on the brink of extinction. Federal, state and Tribal scientists agree and they also agree the very best solution is to provide safe fish pas- sage through the Willamette dams but this cannot be done without the Grand Ronde Big Cliff Foster CTGRTribalVSO@ GrandRonde.Org 503−879−1484 Green Peter Cougar N Dexter Lookout Point Hills Creek Map by Samuel Briggs III production of the right report from the Army Corps of Engineers.” The deadline for the report was June 30, 2024. After being contact- ed by Smoke Signals on Friday, July 19, Army Corps of Engineers Portland District Senior Public Affairs Specialist Kerry Solan said the Portland District has since completed the report and sent it to headquarters. “We can’t speak to the disposi- tion (of the) report or the process anymore because the report is cur- rently undergoing administration review,” she said. Solan added that the report was sent from the Portland District to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Headquarters in Washington, D.C. From there, it goes to the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works before being sent to Congress. “The report is currently with the AUGUST 2024 EVENTS Veterans Garden Garden beds have been placed and are in the back of the Community Programs Building. Veterans are welcome to come garden whenever they have a moment. Supplies are in the tote. Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works and is undergoing administration review,” an Army spokesperson confirmed on Monday, July 22. According to the press release from Signal Group, in the Water Resources Development Act of 2020, Congress directed the Corps to submit a report on deauthorizing hydropower at two dams (Detroit and Cougar) in the Willamette River Basin, but the agency failed to submit its analysis. In 2022, Con- gress again directed the Corps to submit a study determining effects of deauthorizing hydropower at all eight hydropower dams (Foster, Big Cliff, Detroit, Cougar, Green Peter, Dexter, Lookout Point and Hills Creek) by June 2024. “The Corps once again failed to submit its report on time, depriv- ing Congress of essential analysis and information for informed deci- sion-making and critical manage- ment decisions in the Willamette Valley system,” the release said. George said the delays put not only Tribal lifeways at risk, but those for all Oregonians. “I’m a Tribal leader and the rea- son I am here today is because the people of my Tribe and the people of Oregon are all part of a natural Canoe Journey Interested Tribal Veterans, contact the TVSO office. I have five sets of camping supplies available for tribal veterans who wish to camp during Protocol (July 31 to August 5). First-come, first-served. Veterans Golf Veteran makes the arrangements. There are five golf vouchers remaining for the month of August. Come by and pick up a pre-paid card to take to Dallas Golf Club. Veteran will need to call them directly to make an appointment for “T” time. Please note: Pick up times are between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Thursdays are the best day to pick up due to it being the normal walk-in day. Contact the TVSO Office if you have any questions or for more event information. Detroit and cultural heritage,” she said. “A life of living with our salmon. That lifeway and these fish are in peril. For Tribal people, there is no good way to live without living in balance with our rivers and our salmon. The experience of catching salmon in the Willamette is one we all deserve but those opportunities are quickly diminishing unless we do the right thing and pursue deauthorizing hy- dropower at the Willamette dams so our salmon and steelhead can safely pass upstream to the high quality habitat above those dams and safely make it back down and to the ocean. This is critical. Our fish are simply running out of time.” George noted that Tribal leaders, the state of Oregon, Bonneville Power Association, scientists and conservation advocates are united in finding the same solution. “The power produced at these dams is the most expensive way to make hydropower that we have in the system,” she said. “The Army Corps own analysis found the dams would lose a stunning $939 million over the next 30 years if we continue…because the cost of gen- eration at these dams far outweighs the revenue. The people who are paying for that are the ratepayers throughout the BPA service areas. The entire West is paying for this expensive hydropower at the ex- pense of killing salmon.” Fairbrother noted it has been 25 years since these fish were listed under the Endangered Species Act. Recently, the status was updated and the populations continue to decline. “It is likely that by 2040 some of these (salmon and steelhead) runs will be nearing extinction or going extinct,” she said. “That is just 16 years away and these fish can’t wait any longer for the Corps to stop dragging its feet.” After the report has been sent to Congress, the next step is to ensure it is complete, Fairbrother said. “The Corps has known for de- cades that effective fish passage is key to recovery,” she said. “We hope (this report) can inform decision making on whether to deauthorize hydropower to these dams.” n Save the Date for Upcoming Events: Parfleche & Painting Classes ~ Sept. 11 and Sept. 18 at the Community Programs Building from 4 to 7 p.m. Tentative September Events: Veteran Guitar Music Classes – Due to popular demand, we are setting up another guitar class for veterans. Veteran Cooking Classes – Four cooking classes for veterans. Ad by Samuel Briggs III smok signflz offering fast e-mail subscription Want to be one of the first Tribal members to receive smok signflz? Want to receive the Tribal publication on your computer instead of waiting for it to arrive in the mail? Want to get up-to-date and in-the-know about the Grand Ronde Tribe before anyone else? In an effort to be more efficient and re- duce printing and postage costs, smok signflz electronic subscribers receive a PDF (portable document format) version sent to them instead of a newsprint version sent via the mail. All you need on your computer is Adobe Acrobat or another program that can read a PDF and you’re set. Why would you want to do that? The PDF version is available before the newspaper is sent to our printing contractor in Salem. You can read the paper on your computer or print out a copy of individual pages yourself. And you will receive Tribal news much faster than the current standard mailing utilized by the Tribe. If you would like to receive an e-mailed PDF version of smok sign- flz and stop receiving a mailed newsprint version, send your e-mail to esubscription@grandronde.org. Stopping mailed delivery of the newspaper will not affect other Tribal mail. n
