Idaho Sen. Mike Crapo should come to the table around Northwest Salmon solution 

In September, leaders from Youth Salmon Protectors spoke with Sen. Mike Crapo to discuss why students care about wild salmon and steelhead. Crapo told us about the last time he took a shot at solving the Northwest salmon issue.

In 2005, Crapo organized a coalition of farmers, ranchers, conservation organizations, Bonneville Power Administration officials, and Tribal governments to seek a comprehensive solution to restore Idaho’s renowned anadromous fish to abundance. The talks fell apart due to pending litigation. Where Crapo went wrong in his message during our phone call was in considering his audience. I had just been born the last time Sen. Crapo took any action whatsoever to save Idaho’s wild salmon and steelhead from the brink of extinction. I’m a junior in high school now.

Over the last 16 years, the entire issue has changed. Bonneville Power’s electricity prices have risen, renewable energy is cheaper, and salmon returns are hitting record lows despite billions spent on ineffective recovery efforts. Hard science has shown that removing the four lower Snake River dams is the only way to restore these keystone species which once swam in the millions through Idaho streams each year.

Earlier this year, Rep. Mike Simpson put forward a comprehensive proposal that would breach the dams, invest billions in Northwest energy and transportation infrastructure, end the endless cycle of litigation, and make communities across the region whole. A diverse coalition of stakeholders have come to the table around his plan. Despite support from Oregon Gov. Kate Brown and Rep. Earl Blumenauer, numerous conservation organizations, and every single Tribal government in the Columbia River basin, Simpson’s plan failed to garner support from any Northwest senators.

Last week, new players entered the field. Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and Sen. Patty Murray announced that they too are drafting a plan to save wild salmon, potentially by freeing the lower Snake River. Oregon Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley quickly expressed willingness to work with their Washington colleagues.

Now the ball is in Idaho’s court. With Democrats in control of Congress, they could pass legislation without any Republican support. Idahoans, who have long borne much of the cost of the four dams without reaping many of the benefits, could find themselves in an even worse situation if our leaders are unwilling to work across the aisle to save these iconic fish and ensure the needs of Idahoans are met.

The litigation excuse has also been waived. Just Wednesday, a federal judge approved a 9-month pause on the legal action around federal dams and salmon that pushed Crapo away from the table. The stay was jointly requested in an agreement reached between the Nez Perce Tribe, the state of Oregon, fishing and conservation groups, and the Biden Administration, indicating that even the feds are ready to resolve this issue and restore a free-flowing lower Snake River.

The table is set. Crapo doesn’t need to sponsor his own legislation, only to engage with his colleagues to secure the best deal for his constituency. It’s time for Crapo to come to the table to resolve this issue which has pained so many Idahoans for so long. Decades ago, Crapo was influential in protecting the Owyhee Canyonlands and the Boulder-White Clouds. I only wish he was still willing to take bold action and find common ground with his colleagues across the aisle when so much hangs in the balance.

I know we will succeed. The Lower Snake River will be freed. But it will take many voices from across the state and Northwest to cause change. It’s time to call Senator Crapo’s office and tell him that Idahoans — and Idaho’s wild fish — are depending on him.

This story was originally published November 5, 2021 at 4:00 AM.