Four tribes with treaty rights on the Columbia River reached an agreement with the federal government aimed at improving salmon runs in the basin.
The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Reservation of Oregon, the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon, the Yakama Nation of Washington and the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation of Washington and the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission signed the agreement.
The tribes will drop their lawsuits over salmon protection in exchange a commitment of $900 million in funding from three federal agencies.
"These agreements reflect our strongly held belief that it takes partnerships and hard work among many stakeholders using an array of strategies if we are to succeed with fish recovery," Colville Chairman Mike Marchand said in a press release.
The Nez Perce Tribe of Idaho did not join the agreement. The tribe will continue its lawsuit, along with environmental groups who want four dams in the basin removed.
The deal is subject to public comment.
Get the Story:4 tribes agree to settlement on restoring salmon runs (The Seattle Times 4/8)
Four tribes, feds agree to fish plan (The Yakima Herald-Republic 4/8)
Deal Gives Money to Tribes to Drop Role in Fish Lawsuits (The New York Times 4/8)
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Tribes, feds reach agreement on salmon (KLEW 4/7)
Deal Reached Over Protection of Salmon (AP 4/7)
