Please take the opportunity to influence the future of our industry, our economy and our communities! Visit Columbia River System Operations EIS for details and comments.crso.info to access the online comment form.

An environmental review of 14 dams on the Columbia/Snake river system released Feb. 28 recommends the four dams on the lower Snake River stay in place, but that the amount of water spilled over those dams be increased to help endangered salmon.

The Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Reclamation and Bonneville Power Administration issued the draft environmental impact statement (EIS) with a comment period that will end April 13, 2020. Public forums by teleconference have been scheduled, with the times and locations on the first link above.

A final EIS will follow and a formal decision is planned later in 2020.

Ted Case, executive director of the Oregon Rural Electric Cooperative Association, welcomed the plan.

"Oregon's electric cooperatives are pleased the (environmental assessment) recognizes the lower Snake River Dams are a critical part of the Northwest's clean energy future", he said. "The (plan" also concludes that breaching the dams would have adverse effects on power costs, particulary in rural counties, while putting the reliability of our electrical grid at risk."

"We need our communities who are dependent on the dams to turn out and comment," says Kurt Miller, executive director of Northwest RiverPartners. "You can influence the outcome."

"It has been called the most comprehensive study in the history of the Columbia River Basin, and it will show that a balanced examination of environmental, fish and wildlife, and socioeconomic concerns has led the federal Action Agencies to recommend non-breaching alternatives," Miller said.

"While we respect the collaborative conversations that are taking place in the region, we sincerely encourage you to champion the Lower Snake River Dams in this process," he said. "Policy makers will be watching, and you can be certain that people who support breaching will come out in ful."

WANT TO ADD YOUR VOICE TO THE MANY WHO SPEAK FOR OUR ENERGY FUTURE?

• Visit crso.info to access the online comment form and find full details on the EIS.

• Visit Oregon Rural Electric Cooperative Association's Action Alerts to comment to legislators and agencies to support the Lower Snake River Dams.

• Visit Northwest RiverPartners to sign a petition in support of saving the Lower Snake River Dams.