Kotek affirms state commitments to Columbia Basin Restoration initiative; Warm Springs tribal leader weighs in

SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Governor Tina Kotek announced Monday that she is directing state agencies to take all actions necessary and work cooperatively to fulfill the State of Oregon’s commitments to the Columbia Basin Restoration Initiative.

“The Columbia Basin Restoration Initiative is the result of a historic, unified partnership with sovereign Tribal nations and the states of Oregon and Washington – and I am committed to full implementation of our agreement over the next decade,” Governor Kotek said. “My directives to state agencies will uphold our state’s commitment and complement other efforts by the state to build a resilient and adaptive future to climate change, while also positioning our communities for a prosperous economic future.”

The “Six Sovereigns,” made up of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs, the Confederated Tribes of the Yakama Nation, the Nez Perce Tribe, and the states of Oregon and Washington, joined together to develop the CBRI.

In December 2023, the United States government agreed to a suite of actions memorialized in the federal commitments made by the Biden-Harris Administration in response to the CBRI, in conjunction with a Presidential Memorandum, and the federal commitments together comprise the Resilient Columbia Basin Agreement (RCBA).

In collaboration with the Biden-Harris Administration, a historic agreement was developed to work in partnership with the Six Sovereigns to restore wild salmon populations, expand Tribally sponsored clean energy production, and provide stability for communities that depend on the Columbia River System for agriculture, energy, recreation, and transportation. Developing clean, reliable, and affordable replacement power for the region prior to considering removal of existing dams on the Snake River is a priority of the agreement.

To achieve these outcomes, Governor Kotek is directing relevant Oregon state agencies to:

• By February 2025, develop a report that outlines program commitments and existing statutory or administrative needs and capacity.
• Twice annually, meet with the Governor’s Office to review coordination among the State of Oregon, the federal government, and the other Six Sovereigns for the purpose of assessing their work to achieve and accelerate full implementation of the CBRI and RBCA.
• By June 2025, and annually thereafter, report to their respective boards or commissions on their implementation of the CBRI and RBCA, including identifying opportunities to enhance their agency’s role in CBRI and RBCA implementation.
• By November 2025, and annually thereafter, convene with the Governor’s Office a meeting with the Six Sovereigns to discuss ongoing implementation efforts and opportunities for collaboration to optimize implementation by Oregon.

The Governor’s Executive Order also directs the Northwest Power and Conservation Council (NWPCC) to identify opportunities for the NWPCC to advance the goals of the CBRI and RBCA and, by April 2025, deliver a report to the Governor of the opportunities that have been identified and the actions that are needed to implement those opportunities.

The full text of Executive Order 24-28 can be found here.

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Jonathan W. Smith, Sr., Chairman, Tribal Council for the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon, issued this statement in response to the Executive Order:

“The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs values Governor Kotek's Executive Order calling for state-level agency action on the Resilient Columbia Basin Agreement (RCBA) and the Columbia Basin Restoration Initiative (CBRI). 

These unique efforts strengthen sovereign collaboration in support of comprehensive and inclusive salmon restoration efforts across the Columbia River Basin system.

As the Executive Order signals, this is an important step in our State's comprehensive approach to honoring Tribal sovereignty and meeting climate goals, securing a resilient and affordable energy system and modernizing our infrastructure and restoring our salmon and native fish to healthy and abundant levels.

We look forward to continued collaboration with the State on that front as we also develop and grow our leadership as a socially just energy leader. Our co-ownership with PGE of the Pelton Round Butte project, located on the Deschutes River, a tributary to the Columbia River, has allowed our people to engage in the long-term work to manage dams and fisheries in ways that not only preserve, but enhance, our sovereign environmental, cultural and economic interests. Our leadership in this space is helping the State meet the energy needs of population centers in the Willamette Valley while also creating opportunities for our Tribes to develop more renewable energy, such as solar power, needed to meet growing demands in a socially just way.”