COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho — The Coeur d'Alene Tribe has reached a settlement agreement with the United States government to restore salmon populations to the Upper Columbia River Basin.
That agreement was made in Washington, D.C. The tribe says this is the first major step in correcting the salmon population issues caused by the construction of federal dams in the region.
"The Coeur d’Alene people have always been a salmon people since anyone can remember," Tribe councilman Cajetan Matheson said in a statement. "Salmon, the character, appears in several of our stories. He was always a chief, meant to be respected as he traveled throughout the landscape. As a source of sustenance, the arrival of salmon was always met with eager anticipation."
Now that the settlement agreement has been reached, the tribe says the U.S. will fully commit to implementing Phase 2 of the restoration plan, which includes examining ways to address fish passage at Grand Coulee and Chief Joseph Dams.
“The Coeur d’Alene Tribe has been a leader in advocating for salmon reintroduction and continued that leadership throughout the challenging negotiations that preceded the agreement," Vice Chairman Hemene James said. "We would not be here today without the leadership of the Chairman and Tribal Council or the unwavering commitment of Tribal Natural Resources staff.”
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