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Natural Resources are Central to Tribal Culture

Columbia River Treaty 2014/2024 Review Paul Lumley, Yakama, CRITFC Executive Director Northwest Hydroelectric Association February 2013. 1. Natural Resources are Central to Tribal Culture. Salmon. Berries. Water. Game. First Foods. Roots.

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Natural Resources are Central to Tribal Culture

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  1. Columbia River Treaty 2014/2024 ReviewPaul Lumley, Yakama, CRITFC Executive DirectorNorthwest Hydroelectric Association February 2013 1

  2. Natural Resources are Central to Tribal Culture

  3. Salmon Berries Water Game First Foods Roots

  4. “…the right of taking fish at all usual and accustomed places, in common with the citizens of the Territory, and of erecting temporary buildings for curing them: together with the privilege of hunting, gathering roots and berries....” —1855 Treaty with the Yakima

  5. Estimated Avg 17,000,000 millions of fish Salmon declineReturning Columbia River salmon (chinook, steelhead, sockeye, coho) 1,754,334

  6. Tribal Lifestyles are Not Relics of the Past • Warm Springs tribal lamprey harvest in Oregon City, Oregon

  7. Columbia Basin Tribes15 tribes with management authorities and responsibilities affected by the Columbia River Treaty

  8. Development of Tribal Caucus • Columbia Basin Fish Accords – Attachment F • Provides a platform to develop knowledge of Treaty and on Treaty Review • Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians – Resolution January 2008 • Series of meetings facilitated by ATNI and CBFWA to share knowledge and concerns

  9. Tribal Caucus products • Mission OR workshop – discuss issues and concerns – December 2009 • Common Views of Columbia Basin Tribes – February 2010 • Tribal Goals and Objectives – May 2010 • Tribal Leaders meet with U.S. Entity – July 2010: Agreed to establish a 3 tier Sovereign Participation Process, goal is to develop a Regional Consensus

  10. Tribal Issues with Treaty • No tribal consultation during negotiation nor tribal representation during implementation • Adopted hydropower and flood control as management goals, disregarding fisheries and other ecosystem elements • Flood control plan eliminated annual flooding and freshets, moved flood upriver • Grand Coulee and Treaty projects built without passage and eliminated salmon spawning habitat • Benefits of Treaty system not shared with tribes

  11. Celilo Falls tribal fishery On the Columbia River near The Dalles, Oregon (inundated by The Dalles Dam in 1957)

  12. Kettle Falls tribal fishery On the Columbia River in Washington State (inundated by Grand Coulee Dam in 1940)

  13. Impacts from dramatic reservoir level changes • Spokane River in Washington State, impacts from Grand Coulee Reservoir Drawdown (cultural resources, contamination in dust)

  14. Fish and Wildlife Impacts On the Upper Snake River in Idaho (salmon blockage in 1901) Loss of salmon impacted wildlife and other ecosystem functions

  15. River level at The Dalles lower summer flow flow pushed earlier in the year

  16. Columbia Basin Tribes’ Goals • Governance – a seat at the table (during Treaty Review, negotiations and implementation) • Incorporate ecosystem-based function into Treaty Review and new Treaty • Restore spring freshet, while balancing tribal needs in upper reservoirs • Restore and protect salmon passage at all historic locations • Share in benefits of coordinated systems

  17. Ecosystem-based management approach • Restore and preserve tribal natural and cultural resources • Restore spring freshets: • Helps to restore estuary • Helps move fish • Minimize draw downs at upper reservoirs A robust ecosystem-based assessment needs to be incorporated into the Treaty Review, equal to hydropower and flood control assessment 29

  18. U.S. Commitments • Payment for flood control benefits ~ $65 million total through 2024 (over 50 years, a good deal for US) • Canada is entitled to one-half of the downstream power benefit produced by U.S. projects due to new Canadian storage ~ $300 million annually • After 2024, U.S. reservoirs are subject to “effective use” - they must be fully used for flood control before we can ask Canada for assistance (bad)

  19. Sovereign Participation Process (U.S. Entity/Federal Government, Tribes, States) • Government to Government level: decision makers • Sovereign Review Team: guides technical analysis, resolves process issues • Sovereign Technical Team: modelingand technical analysis 20

  20. Sovereign Participation Process Progress to Date • Iteration #1: completed June 2012, base line information • Iteration #2: broad range of scenarios being modeled, nearly completed • Iteration #3: starts March 2013, narrower range of options to present to the US State Department 20

  21. Tribal Concerns: • Schedule leading to September 2014 should not result in lack of a completed ecosystem analysis • Climate change analysis is needed for improved weather and runoff forecasting on both sides of the border • USACE is reluctant to analyze scenarios that increase flows that may result in flood risks • Tribes lack resources to fully participate and contribute our expertise • Coordination with Canada and First Nations could be increased 20

  22. Steps Forward: • Sovereign Participation Process, or some variant, will likely continue beyond September 2014 • Treaty options are to continue, terminate or modify (enhance/modernize) • Senate ratification needed for new treaty and potentially for major changes Regional Consensus is Key to Success 20

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