This year, we are now entering a critical new phase in the campaign to restore a free-flowing lower Snake River and its endangered wild salmon and steelhead. After lengthy negotiations between the 'Six Sovereigns' (Umatilla, Warm Springs, Yakima, and Nez Perce Tribes; and the states of Washington and Oregon) and the federal government, the Biden Administration released on Dec. 14 a road-map to recover Columbia Basin fish that includes next steps to remove the lower Snake River dams and replace their services.

This plan prioritizes big investments in the Northwest’s economy, communities, lands, and waters to move everyone forward together. This historic agreement will direct hundreds of millions of dollars to modernize infrastructure and protect and restore native fish and their habitats in the Snake and Columbia rivers. Planning has already begun, with the goal of implementing key projects - including a set of Tribal-led projects - to replace the energy, irrigation and transportation services currently provided by the lower Snake River dams as quickly as possible. This is a critical step forward and it is vital that together we begin to envision a Pacific Northwest with a restored, resilient, freely flowing lower Snake River, healthy fish populations and thriving communities.

In recognition of this historic pivot, SOS and partner organizations hosted the 2024 Snake River Dinner Hour webinar series! The Snake River Dinner Hour is a space for folks to come together and learn more about where we’ve come and what’s ahead, and participate in civil dialogue as we each bring different opinions and perspectives to the table. Check out below for a recap of the webinar and a link to the webinar recordings. 

In February, SOS and Snake River Dinner Hour partners launched its first 2024 webinar: Federal actions and commitments to restore Snake River salmon focused on the historic 'USG Commitments Agreement' announced in December 2023. 

Our guest speakers included:

• Nez Perce Tribal Council Chairman Shannon F. Wheeler
• Amanda Goodin, supervising senior attorney with Earthjustice’s Northwest office
• Ed Bowles, Fish Division Administrator for Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife from 2000 - 2020
• Liz Hamilton, executive director for the Northwest Sportfishing Industry Association (NSIA)
• Snake River Dinner hour host: Kayeloni Scott, Communications Director at American Rivers, and Spokane Tribal member and Nez Perce descendant

 Watch the February webinaR REcording 

In the March Snake River Dinner Hour: Culture + Recreation + Ecology = benefits of a restored lower Snake River, we were honored to have the following guests share their thoughts and advice about plans now underway to restore the lower Snake River, including honoring and protecting Tribal cultural sites and relationships in their traditional lands, as well as investing in new outdoor recreational opportunities, ecosystem and habitat improvements in a manner that can deliver significant economic benefits locally and across the Northwest region.

Our guest speakers included:

• Nakia Williamson, Cultural Resources Director of the Nez Perce Tribe
• Lauren McCullough, Operations Manager at OARS Dories
• Libby Tobey, Grand Salmon Expedition Member and Legislative Fellow at Idaho Conservation League
• Trey Carskadon, Public Relations Director for O'Loughlin Trade Shows and President of NSIA
• Kayeloni Scott, NW Communications Director, American Rivers

Watch the March Webinar recordin

In the April Snake River Dinner Hour: Clean energy + a restored lower Snake River = a more vibrant Northwest, our guest speakers talked about the ways we can effectively replace the four dams’ energy services in a manner that prioritizes tribal-led clean energy programs, improves the region's power system resilience and reliability, provides stability for communities, and recovers salmon and steelhead.

Our guest speakers included:

• Alyssa Macy, CEO of Washington Conservation Action and Citizen of the Warm Springs Tribe, Oregon
• Chantel Greene, Founder & CEO of Xexus Greene Energy, LLC., and Nez Perce Tribal member
• Robert E. Morris, Power System Consultant, Lance Energy Chair at Montana Technological University, and technical advisor for the Nez Perce Tribe
• Senator Rebecca Saldaña, Washington State Senate Deputy Majority Leader representing the 37th Legislative District

Watch the April Webinar recording

In the May Snake River Dinner Hour: Salmon & Grain: How to keep our plates full, responsibly, we were honored to hear from committed leaders on the Pacific Northwest’s connection to both agricultural food sources and salmon and supporting sustainable food systems in the Columbia-Snake River Basin for generations to come. 

Our guest speakers included:

• Kat Brigham, Confederated Tribes of Umatilla Indian Reservation member who has worked for 47 years to rebuild, protect and restore Columbia River Basin salmon
• Dave Johnson, Department Manager for the Nez Perce Tribe Fisheries Department and an enrolled member of the Navajo Tribe
• Amy Grondin, commercial salmon fisherman and fishes off the coast of Washington and Southeast Alaska
• Bryan Jones, fourth-generation wheat and cattle farmer living in the Palouse region

 WATCH THE MAY WEBINAR RECORDING

We're incredibly thankful to our Snake River Dinner Hour guest speakers for their leadership and for informing us about actions and urgent next steps to restore a free-flowing lower Snake River.

Snake River Dinner Hour is brought to you by American Rivers, Washington Conservation Action, Idaho Conservation League, Sierra Club, and Save Our wild Salmon.