Without any actual debate, the Idaho House of Representatives handed a brand new joint memorial Thursday that once more makes it clear Idaho Republican legislators oppose eradicating or breaching dams from the Columbia River and Snake River methods and their tributaries.
The Idaho House voted by voice vote to cross Senate Joint Memorial 103, a nonbinding request that was addressed to President Joe Biden, Congress and Idaho’s congressional delegation.
The memorial states that the Columbia River, the Snake River and its tributaries are an important a part of Idaho’s economic system. The memorial goes on to state that the Port of Lewiston is an asset to the area that serves as Idaho’s solely seaport and states that the hydropower generated by the dams is an environment friendly, environmentally favorable supply of vitality.
Rep. Lori McCann, R-Lewiston, sponsored the joint memorial on the House ground and highlighted the grain that was transported out of the Port of Lewiston on 171 barges final yr.
“This is an extremely important bill for my area,” she mentioned.
Nobody debated in opposition to the memorial.
In 2021, U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson made waves by unveiling an estimated $34 billion Columbia Basin Initiative that referred to as for breaching 4 hydroelectric dams situated alongside the Snake River in Washington and changing the vitality the dams generate. Simpson mentioned that with out eradicating the dams, Idaho’ endangered and threatened salmon could be condemned to extinction. As a part of the salmon’s migration to the Pacific Ocean and again, the fish cross by way of eight dams, the place they could possibly be killed going by way of the generators or trapped behind the dams.
McCann mentioned Idaho wants to guard the fish, however not by eradicating dams.
“We have a challenge that we need to continue the work to protect and save the fish, but this is not about that,” McCann mentioned on the House ground. “This is right now about the hydroelectric service that our people are receiving and without it, it’s a real challenge.”
This shouldn’t be a brand new position or masking new floor for the Idaho Legislature. In 2021, the Idaho Legislature additionally handed an analogous memorial opposing eradicating or breaching dams alongside the Snake River that was additionally referred to as Senate Joint Memorial 103.
The Idaho Senate already voted 29-5 to cross this yr’s Senate Joint Memorial 103 on Feb. 26. Joint memorials should not have the impact of legislation and don’t must be despatched to Gov. Brad Little’s desk for last consideration. However, it’s price noting that Little himself has come out against dam breaching a number of occasions.
