Tribes Condemn Trump for Backing Out of Columbia River Deal for Salmon Recovery

"Time is running out for wild salmon in the Columbia River Basin in the Pacific Northwest. Their populations, as well as those of some other native fish, have been declining for decades. Now, President Donald Trump is attacking the progress that had been made to restore those once-abundant salmon runs. In June 2025, Trump signed a memorandum signaling his administration's unwillingness to consider dam removal on the lower Snake River, a tributary of the Columbia River, and reneging on a landmark agreement that would have provided more than a billion dollars over the next decade to Pacific Northwest tribes for renewable energy projects and salmon recovery."

"The federal government entered into the Resilient Columbia Basin Agreement under the Biden administration in December 2023 after two years of negotiations. Other parties to the agreement include environmental advocates; Oregon; Washington; and the Umatilla, Nez Perce, Warm Springs, and Yakama tribes. Those tribes entered into treaties with the U.S. government in the mid-1850s, ceding land but maintaining a perpetual right to their fishing grounds in the Columbia River Basin. The government has failed to ensure the tribal fishing rights it promised to protect in those treaties."

Wild salmon populations in the Columbia River Basin have declined for decades, threatening ecosystem health and native fisheries. In June 2025, a presidential memorandum declared unwillingness to consider removal of lower Snake River dams and withdrew support for over a billion dollars in funding for Pacific Northwest tribes for renewable energy and salmon recovery. The Resilient Columbia Basin Agreement, finalized in December 2023 after two years of negotiation, included environmental groups, Oregon, Washington, and the Umatilla, Nez Perce, Warm Springs, and Yakama tribes. Those tribes ceded land in mid-1850s treaties while retaining perpetual fishing rights, rights the federal government has failed to protect, prompting tribal leaders and regional advocates to continue restoration efforts despite federal rollback.

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