the northwest power act: the spokane tribe’s perspective
TRANSCRIPT
The Northwest Power Act:
The Spokane Tribe’s Perspective
“We never wanted for nothing……
until Coulee Dam was built, after that we had
nothing…” Spokane Tribal Elder, Marion Wynecoop
.
The Northwest Power and Conservation Council continues
to ignore the “Congressional declaration of purpose” of the
Power Act.
NPCC excluded the Spokane Tribe from proposing new projects (since 2007) to mitigate for our resource losses, yet NPCC allowed Accord
Agencies the opportunity to propose new projects.
Anadromous fisheries
Resident fisheries
Terrestrial resources
NPCC FAILS to provide opportunities to mitigate losses to the Spokane
Tribe’s
Bureau of Reclamation Web site photo
Crown Jewel of the Columbia River FCRPS
75 Years of Regional Benefits
WWII war effort
Benefits to fish and wildlife
Flood protectionBargingIrrigationMunicipal water storage
Map and photos courtesy of NPCC and BPA 2012
Industry
Hydropower
75 Years of Spokane Tribal ImpactsAnadromous fish
losses
Erosion and landslides
Resident fish lossesWildlife habitat
lossesCultural lossesEconomic losses
Hydropower Impacts to Fish and Wildlife
37% of all Salmon andSteelhead lost to
hydropower developmentwere lost due to theconstruction and operationof Grand Coulee and ChiefJoseph Dams (NWPPC1986)
37% of all Wildlife habitatlosses occurred in theIntermountain Province(BPA) Nearly 100,000 Acresof land
inundated creating a loss of149,276 HUs in the UpperColumbia (BPA)
Historical Spokane
Tribal Fishing Sites
Washington Water Power photo
Spokane Tribe Expectations• Uphold the intent of the Power Act.• Acknowledge the Program is not mature.• Acknowledge the Program is not just an ESA
Recovery program.• NPCC allow the Spokane Tribe to implement
sub-basin plans, which requires increased funding.
• Reopen solicitation process so we (a non-accord) can have the same opportunities for new projects as Accords were afforded.