Salem, OR - Today, the state of Oregon announced the renewal of litigation against the federal government to protect vulnerable salmon runs. Earlier this year, the Trump Administration withdrew from an agreement with Oregon, Washington, four Lower Columbia Treaty Tribes and the National Wildlife Federation that paused the litigation in 2023. The President's decision to withdraw from that agreement means further litigation is necessary to protect natural resources, preserve fish runs, and ensure federal responsibilities are met.

Governor Kotek released the following statement on the news:

"The Columbia Basin Restoration Initiative represents a shared, scientifically sound vision for restoring healthy and abundant salmon populations in the Columbia River that all of our governments committed to implement under the 2023 agreement. Healthy runs are key for successful fish migration - and our salmon and steelhead runs are in crisis. President Trump walking away from these commitments presents a very real threat at a time when the fish are on the brink of extinction. It also continues our nation's shameful legacy of broken promises to sovereign tribal nations that this partnership sought to repair.

"Extinction of iconic Columbia River salmon runs is not an option; we can have both healthy and abundant fish runs and power to meet our growing energy needs. Working with the sovereign tribes and state of Washington, I have directed staff and agencies to protect existing salmon runs and advocate for sustainable salmon population restoration. The state of Oregon will return to federal court and seek an injunction to address urgent needs for the fish, including requiring the federal government to operate the hydropower system to help salmon complete their downstream migration next spring, maximizing the chance that they will return as adults."

Oregon, Washington, and the four Lower Columbia Treaty Tribes created the Columbia Basin Restoration Initiative (CBRI) to restore salmon runs and design a dam operations plan that honors treaty obligations while meeting the region's clean energy needs, documented in the Columbia Basin Restoration Initiative (CBRI).

In December 2023, the federal government responded with the Resilient Columbia Basin Agreement (RCBA), committing to short-term protections for salmon and a 10-year strategy to address hydropower operations and growing energy demand. The agreement, which followed decades of litigation including a 2021 lawsuit, led plaintiffs to stay, but not dismiss, legal proceedings.

In June, President Trump directed federal agencies to withdraw from the RCBA without explanation. In 2024, Kotek signed Executive Order 24-28 directing state agencies to carry out Oregon's commitments under both the CBRI and RCBA. Oregon remains committed to working with Washington and tribal partners to pursue healthy salmon runs and a clean energy future, while urging the federal government to rejoin the effort.

Note to Editors: Since 1992, there has been nearly non-stop litigation over the federal government's Biological Opinions (BiOps) related to the Columbia River Operating System. In six separate cases (1993, 1995, 2000, 2004, 2008, and 2014) the courts ruled in favor of plaintiffs that the federal government's BiOps needed to be overturned in whole or in part.

In 2019, a new BiOp was released that incorporated a negotiated "Flex Spill Operations Agreement." The 2019 BiOp was merely a stop gap, and President Trump instructed NMFS to expedite completion of a new BiOp by late-2020.

In 2021, the State of Oregon, the National Wildlife Federation and Nez Perce Tribe filed suit against the Federal Government because once again their Record of Decision was based on a flawed BiOp. Later in 2021, the Biden Administration offered to sit down with plaintiffs and negotiated a stay of litigation, which eventually led to the 2023 Resilient Columbia River Agreement (RCBA). In June 2025, the second Trump Administration walked away from the negotiated RCBA.

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