Thank You For Leadership Role in Columbia River Litigation
Letter to Christine Gregoire, Office of the Governor
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
By Terry Flores, Director, Northwest RiverPartners

Northwest RiverPartners thanks you for the leadership role you have taken in the Columbia River litigation before Judge Redden. Your efforts in working with the Colville, Spokane and Kootenai Tribes, the state of Montana and the BPA Customer Group (a part of Northwest RiverPartners) provide a model for how the region needs to collaboratively work through the difficult salmon and fishery management issues we face.

We particularly appreciate your decisive and public response to the plaintiff’s proposals for 2006 federal hydrosystem operations. Their proposals would have hamstrung federal hydro operations and imposed significant additional costs on regional businesses and electric customers with no demonstrable benefits for salmon resources. Your leadership clearly made a difference as evidenced by Judge Redden’s statement that he is not inclined to grant the plaintiffs’ recommended flow augmentation proposal and served your constituents well.

We look forward to continuing to work with you, your staff and other members of the regional coalition as the longer-term 2004 Biological Opinion remand process moves forward. If we can be of assistance to you or your staff, please do not hesitate to contact us. Again, we greatly appreciate your and your staff’s hard work and efforts on this critical issue facing the Northwest.