Governor Inslee calls for non-dam alternative to flood reduction in Chehalis Basin

In letters to the Chehalis Basin Board and state agencies, Governor calls for further evaluation of the potential to avoid, minimize and mitigate the impacts of flood retention and other flood risk reduction projects, including a no-dam option.

View Governor Inslee’s July 22, 2020 letters to the DEPARTMENTS OF ECOLOGY AND FISH AND WILDLIFE and the CHEHALIS BASIN BOARD.

Or read more in this KUOW Public Radio article

 

“We’re grateful for Governor Inslee’s letters calling for an approach to flood mitigation and salmon recovery in the Chehalis Basin that does not include a massive new dam,” said Brian Stewart, Cascades to Olympics Program Coordinator for Conservation Northwest and a resident of Onalaska in Lewis County.

“The Quinault Nation and Chehalis Tribes, local residents like myself, and dozens of conservation and recreation groups have filed objections and voiced concerns regarding the proposal to dam the Chehalis, one of our state’s greatest remaining salmon rivers and a habitat corridor critical for wildlife in southwest Washington,” said Stewart.

“Governor Inslee is right to demand greater engagement with Native American tribes and others to find a collaborative path forward that does not include a fish-killing dam. We need a shared vision to restore the Chehalis and reduce flood risks, especially in light of climate change, but a dam projected to cost close to a billion dollars is not the solution.”

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More background and details available in these technical comments and letters:

• www.conservationnw.org/news-updates/comments-on-proposed-dam-in-the-chehalis-basin/
• www.conservationnw.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Chehalis-River-Alliance_Chehalis-DEIS-Response_5.27.20.pdf
• www.conservationnw.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Alliance-Letter-of-Support-5_26_2020_Final.pdf
• https://conservationnw.org/news-updates/extinction-is-not-an-option-quinault-nation-opposes-dam-proposed-on-chehalis-river/
• https://chehalisdeisquinaultcomments.squarespace.com/
• Guest Commentary: Chehalis Tribe, Quinault Nation Concerned About Dam Sponsor Mitigation Plan
• Seattle Times LTE: Chehalis River: ‘We need a shared vision’
• The Heart and the Highway: A perspective on the impacts of the proposed Chehalis River dam

 

VISIT the Chehalis River Alliance WEBSITE or our CASCADES TO OLYMPICS WEBPAGE for additional perspectives