CRITFC Chair Jeremy Takala
We are dismayed that an agreement that was among the best roadmaps charted for helping Columbia Basin salmon — representing years of work by tribes, states, and the federal government — was undone with the stroke of a pen. This action, done without consultation with the tribes, dismantles what should have been celebrated as a historic achievement. If you love salmon, steelhead, sturgeon, and lamprey, the Resilient Columbia Basin Agreement was a groundbreaking commitment that provided critical funding for tribal and other hatcheries, habitat restoration, predation management, infrastructure upgrades, and support for energy projects that would be less burdensome on the environment and tribal cultural resources.
The disregard shown to the countless hours of effort, meetings, and actions that went into this agreement is disappointing. Tribes opened our doors and our hearts, hosting federal officials along the Big River to show them in person why this work is critical. From the banks of the river to dinners in longhouses, we shared the needs for our fish, for our people, and the entire region from the Pacific Northwest to Southeast Alaska. We patiently explained why protecting and restoring salmon is not only a fundamental treaty obligation, but also a duty the federal government has to be a good steward to these resources for everyone.
Despite the administration’s withdrawal, the partnership between our four tribes and the states of Oregon and Washington endures. We are still united in the cause of protecting salmon and rivers and there are many efforts and pledges between us that continue this vital work.
The need for salmon recovery hasn’t gone away with the president’s executive order, but neither has our resolve—it has only strengthened. Salmon recovery represents both economic opportunity and conservation success. Healthy salmon runs support commercial and recreational fishing industries that employ thousands of workers and generate millions in economic activity across rural communities. Restoring these fisheries strengthens local economies while honoring our nation’s treaty commitments—promises made that must be kept. This work also demonstrates responsible resource management that benefits private landowners, farmers, businesses, and the residents of the Pacific Northwest who depend on clean water and healthy ecosystems.
Building on the foundation laid forth by our ancestors and our commitment to future generations will drive our work to protect salmon forever. Moving forward, we seek bipartisan leadership and collaboration with lawmakers from both parties who understand that protecting salmon means protecting jobs, honoring America’s word, and ensuring our children inherit the natural heritage that defines the Pacific Northwest. Working in unity, support, and collaboration, we will continue to advocate for the salmon and the rivers where we live.
Official statements from our member tribes on the Trump administration’s decision to withdraw from the Resilient Columbia Basin Agreement. Additional quotes will be added to this page as other member tribes release statements.
Nez Perce Tribe
“This action tries to hide from the truth. The Nez Perce Tribe holds a duty to speak the truth for the salmon, and the truth is that extinction of salmon populations is happening now,” stated Shannon Wheeler, Chairman of the Nez Perce Tribe. “People across the Northwest know this, and people across the Nation have supported us in a vision for preventing salmon extinction that would at the same time create a stronger and better future for the Northwest. This remains the shared vision of the states of Washington and Oregon, and the Yakama, Umatilla, Warm Springs and Nez Perce tribes, as set out in our Columbia Basin Restoration Initiative. It is a vision we believe is supported, publicly or privately, by most people in the Northwest. And it is a vision underlaid by the treaties of our Northwest tribes, by the U.S. Constitution that protects those treaties, and by the federal statutes enacted by Congress to protect salmon and other species from extinction.”
Yakama Nation
“The Administration’s abrupt termination of the Resilient Columbia Basin Agreement jeopardizes not only tribal Treaty-reserved resources but also the stability of energy, transportation, and water resources essential to the region’s businesses, farms, and families,” stated Yakama Tribal Council Chairman Gerald Lewis. “This agreement was designed to foster collaborative and informed resource management and energy development in the Pacific Northwest, including significant tribal energy initiatives. The Administration’s decision to terminate these commitments echoes the federal government’s historic pattern of broken promises to tribes, and is contrary to President Trump’s stated commitment to domestic energy development.”
“The Yakama Nation is deeply disappointed by this unilateral decision to terminate the Resilient Columbia Basin Agreement, particularly without prior consultation,” Chairman Lewis emphasized. “The federal government’s historic river management approach is unsustainable and will lead to salmon extinction. Courtroom battles cannot provide the innovative, holistic solutions we need. This termination will severely disrupt vital fisheries restoration efforts, eliminate certainty for hydro operations, and likely result in increased energy costs and regional instability.”
“The Yakama Nation remains committed to collaborative efforts to restore healthy and abundant Columbia Basin fisheries, working alongside our tribal, state, federal, and regional partners,” affirmed Yakama Fish & Wildlife Committee Chair Jeremy Takala. “The economic and ecological well-being of our region and our Nation depends on healthy salmon populations, as mandated by our Treaty rights. We reserved the right to actually catch fish, not merely the right to dip our nets into barren waters.”