As people of sacred creation, we believe in our commitment to care for our common home. We stand with our indigenous siblings in the Northwest to honor the original treaties by creating free flowing natural rivers, and protecting salmon, a keystone species central to Northwest life and indigenous livelihood.

As the five Washington Catholic Bishop stated in a pastoral letter about the Columbia River shed: “In respecting the dignity of every human person, we first consider the Original Peoples of Washington state. Native American tribes of the region have a long-standing relationship of care and respect for the salmon of the Lower Snake River…We urge federal and state policy makers to develop and implement a holistic plan for the Lower Snake River region that seeks input from the Original Peoples of Washington state as principal dialogue partners…”

While hopeful and exciting progress has been made in this work, the critical solution of lower Snake River dam removal and preservation of the recent steps forward are under threat. The Northwest Energy Security Act was recently introduced to congress by Representative Newhouse (WA-4). H.R. 626/S. 182 would not address the real challenges facing the Northwest. Instead, it is an attack on years of progress towards restoring healthy and abundant salmon across the Columbia River Basin, advancing clean energy, and modernizing the region’s infrastructure and directly contradicts the solutions outlined by Pacific Northwest tribes and the Washington and Oregon state governments. In place of these efforts, this bill would require federal agencies to use an illegal and insufficient dam operations plan that would condemn salmon to extinction and impede opportunities to develop a cleaner, more reliable energy system. This bill will inhibit our ability to protect and restore our sacred home.

We urge all members of congress to oppose the Northwest Energy Security Act!