Columbia River
West Coast leaders urge feds to reverse decision allowing natural gas pipeline expansion
State attorneys general in Oregon, Washington and California and two Oregon-based environmental groups are asking federal energy regulators to reconsider their approval of a natural gas pipeline project that would increase the flow of gas through the Northwest. Federal regulators voted unanimously Oct. 19 to allow Calgary-based TC Energy to expand the capacity of its […]
Federal funds boost tribal-led revival efforts for salmon in upper Columbia River Basin
This article was first published by the Idaho Capital Sun. In June of 1940, Native American tribes from across the Northwest gathered at Kettle Falls in northeast Washington to mourn the loss of their historic fishing grounds. Known as the “Ceremony of Tears,” the gathering drew thousands of tribal citizens from the Colville Reservation in […]
Northwest sinks millions into derelict vessel removal on region’s waterways
Powerful mechanical shears that resemble a giant lobster claw are tearing into a doomed commercial fishing ship this week as the state of Oregon launches a new push to remove several hundred derelict and hazardous vessels that litter the state’s waterways. At the same time, the Washington State Department of Natural Resources is quickening its […]
Billions spent on hatcheries, habitat fails to help native Columbia River salmon, study finds
Decades of data show that despite billions in taxpayer investment, salmon and steelhead hatchery programs and restoration projects in the Columbia River Basin have failed to support or boost native fish populations and in fact are contributing to their decline. Oregon State University economics professor William Jaeger and Mark Scheuerell, a biologist with the U.S. […]
‘Clearly greenlighted’: Washington and Oregon lawmakers upbeat about I-5 bridge replacement
Washington and Oregon lawmakers got a clearer idea Friday of what a new Interstate 5 bridge across the Columbia River might look like, how much drivers may pay to use it and how residents of both states can stay involved as the project moves toward construction. The three-hour virtual meeting was the first major update […]
Oregon lawmakers finalize plans to pay for I-5 bridge
Legislative plans for a research tax credit for the semiconductor industry and paying Oregon’s share of a multibillion-dollar bridge over the Columbia River took shape Tuesday. Bridge funding and the tax breaks were in a group of bills approved by committees on Tuesday and expected to come up for votes in the House and Senate […]