The Columbia River no longer supports the salmon runs and fishing opportunities it once did because of the construction and operation of the Federal Columbia River Power System. Congress directed BPA to mitigate those impacts through the Northwest Power Act. For more than 30 years, SAFE has been one of the region's most successful fishery mitigation programs, providing sustainable fishing opportunities while protecting wild salmon.
During a July 10 meeting with Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife leadership, BPA stated that it does not believe it has a responsibility for fishery mitigation and asserted that it can unilaterally decide which mitigation programs it will fund, despite decades of support for SAFE and recommendations from the Northwest Power and Conservation Council and the basin's fish and wildlife co-managers.
If BPA is allowed to walk away from SAFE, it sets a dangerous precedent that could undermine future mitigation programs across the Columbia River Basin. Recreational anglers harvest approximately 34 percent of the fish produced through SAFE. Losing this program will reduce fishing opportunities, harm local economies, and weaken public trust in the Columbia Basin mitigation framework that has guided fish and wildlife recovery for more than four decades.
The future of Columbia River recreational fishing is at stake. Please contact BPA Administrator Travis Kavulla today and urge BPA to immediately restore SAFE funding and honor its legal obligation to protect, mitigate, and enhance fish and wildlife affected by the Federal Columbia River Power System.