February 12, 2004

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Charles Hudson, Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (503) 318-7411.

NW Tribes unite to condemn Federal plan to gut salmon protections
Columbia River would "roll on" no longer if spill program succumbs to "greed".

Portland, Oregon * The fifty-four member Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians (ATNI) united today voicing strong opposition to a federal proposal to weaken salmon protection through elimination or reduction of summer spill at federal hydro projects in the lower Columbia and Snake Rivers.

Through a resolution, introduced by the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR), the ATNI chastises "federal agencies, led by the Bonneville Power Association" for engaging in a "vague, unwritten yet aggressive campaign" to eliminate the safest means of fish passage around fish killing turbines.

Jay Minthorn, member of the CTUIR Board of Trustees and Vice-Chairman of the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission said that the battle for equitable river management has long been a priority for basin tribes.

"This fight for salmon protection has gone on since the dams went in. We fought for years to get salmon protection through the spill program and now, just as Columbia salmon runs are showing signs of rebounding, BPA is thinking the unthinkable," Minthorn stated. "Water is the number one resource for our people. Our resources can't live without it. It's critical to our ceremonies. The cycles and needs for both upriver and downriver concerns are addressed in this resolution."

Tribal biologists estimate that summer spill curtailment would kill as many as 50,000 adult salmon each year impacting tribal and non-tribal in-river and ocean fisheries as well as compromising rebuilding efforts.

Minthorn pointed out the irony between the federal spill cutting proposal and the BPA-commissioned Woodie Guthrie song "Roll on Columbia."

"If the spill program is cut the BPA will have snatched away what little "roll" the Columbia has left," said Minthorn.

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Tribal officials praised the resolution's regard for the collective natural and cultural resource concerns of upriver and downriver tribes.

"The passing of this resolution represents the tribes' dedication to natural and cultural resource protection," said Lloyd Irvine, Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribal Council member and ATNI 3rd Vice-President. "We were willing to unite to protect both upriver and downriver interests. We support the need for spill to pass anadromous fish and the need for operations at Libby and Hungry Horse Reservoirs to minimize the impacts to treaty, trust and cultural resources in the Upper Columbia River Basin."

"This resolution demonstrates the ability of tribes to overcome differences to reach viable solutions. The Columbia River is in a drastically altered condition with complex issues requiring delicate balancing of operations," said Amos First Raised, Fish and Wildlife Program Director for the Burns Paiute Tribe.

Alfred Nomee, Coeur d'Alene tribal member and Chairman of the ATNI Natural Resources Committee oversaw the early discussions and inter-tribal development of the resolution that will now make its way to the National Congress of American Indians later this month.

"The tribes have stated a position that treats the Columbia River as a single living unit and one that must be managed and protected as such. This river must remain a resource that both serves and protects all tribes. Tribes have a living culture. It's water, fish and forests, every day. They're not artifacts, they're here and now. This resolution now presents a unified position for NW tribes to take to the national level," said Nomee.