(Washington, D.C.)  Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers released the following statement following President Obama’s decision to allow consideration of removing Snake River dams as an option to save salmon populations. The decision unilaterally amends a 2008 Biological Opinion issued by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which enjoys broad bipartisan consensus in Washington State:

“The Snake River Dams light our state with clean, green, renewable energy and have been the lynchpin of our economy since they were first built.  They’re carbon neutral, salmon-safe and critical to our state’s economy.

“The existing policy reflects consensus among the majority of interested stakeholders from around the State, reflecting an educated balance between jobs and salmon.  That kind of bipartisan agreement is hard to find these days and it disturbs me that the Administration is preempting years of hard work by many in order to serve a narrow special interest.

“Salmon are seeing record runs this year and the science simply doesn’t justify dam removal.  Salmon and dams can coexist and are doing so successfully.”