White House, tribal leaders hail 'historic' deal to restore salmon runs in Pacific Northwest

The Biden administration, leaders of four Columbia River Basin tribes and the governors of Oregon and Washington have signed papers formally launching a $1 billion plan to help recover depleted salmon populations in the Pacific Northwest. The plan stops short of calling for the removal of four controversial dams on the Snake River, as environmental groups and tribal leaders have urged. But officials say the deal will boost clean energy and help offset hydropower, transportation and other benefits provided by the dams should Congress ever agree to breach them. The pauses long-running litigation over federal dam operations and represents the most significant step yet toward eventually taking the four Snake River dams down.