In the news Washington wheat industry dam advocacy makes national outlets

Since the Biden Administration officially announced an agreement with plaintiffs to litigation regarding the lower Snake River dams in December, wheat industry leaders haven’t stopped advocating for the dams in local and national news.

“There is so much misinformation out there regarding the dams and how critical they are to our region, we welcome the national spotlight and the chance to educate the public and Congress,” said Michelle Hennings, executive director of the Washington Association of Wheat Growers (WAWG). “Agricultural voices were largely excluded from discussion of impacts and any commitments for funding and mitigation. We are working with our allies in Congress to ensure the integrity of the lower Snake River dams.”

In return for up to a 10-year stay of litigation, the federal government plans to invest more than $1 billion in fish restoration efforts in the Columbia River Basin and commits to supporting the development of Tribally sponsored clean energy production projects that could eventually replace the energy generated by the dams. 

Commenting on the “Damn” Act

In January, several members of the Pacific Northwest’s congressional delegation introduced the “Defending Against Manipulative Negotiators Act,” which would prohibit the use of federal funds from being used to breach or alter the dams and to prohibit the implementation of the Columbia Basin Restoration Initiative.

WAWG provided the following comment that was widely used in press releases and on Fox News: 

“The Washington Association of Wheat Growers (WAWG) applauds the introduction of the Defending Against Manipulative Negotiators Act by Rep. Dan Newhouse. The lower Snake River dams are vital to the livelihood of Washington’s wheat farmers. Any alteration or breaching of these dams would negatively impact our ability to transport wheat, thus causing adverse impacts to local businesses, including family-owned farms, and the broader regional economy.”

Newhouse (R-Wash.) was joined by Reps. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.), Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-Ore.), Russ Fulcher (R-Idaho), and Cliff Bentz (R-Ore.) in introducing the bill.

Fox News interview

In a live Fox News interview on Jan. 28, Hennings stressed the importance of the dams to the nation’s ability to transport commodities across the world.

“We utilize the system to transport our commodities overseas. We have corn, soy, and wheat coming through our system from the Midwest. The reliability is absolutely vital for us as 90% of Washington wheat is exported. We feed our nation along with others, so it’s very important that we keep our transportation system in place,” she said.

The clip can be seen on WAWG’s YouTube channel at youtube.com/@washingtonassociationofwhe3019.

House hearing

On Jan. 30, Washington Grain Commission (WGC) CEO Casey Chumrau testified in a House Energy and Commerce Committee subcommittee hearing in Washington, D.C., titled, “Exposing President Biden’s Plan to Dismantle the Snake River Dams and the Negative Impacts to the U.S.”     

The hearing was announced by Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) and Energy, Climate, and Grid Security Subcommittee Chair Jeff Duncan (R-S.C.). In the announcement, the chairs said, “The Columbia River System and the lower Snake River dams are the beating heart of the Pacific Northwest, yet that hasn’t stopped the Biden Administration from apparently colluding with special interest groups to lay the groundwork to remove them. We are deeply disturbed by the blatant disregard for the enormous hydropower, irrigation, and navigation benefits these dams provide, as well as a willingness to ignore the voices of those who depend on the dams the most. It’s past time for full transparency from the Biden Administration. This hearing will provide an opportunity to expose how its plans will destroy people’s lives in Eastern Washington.”

In her testimony, Chumrau emphasized the reliability of the U.S. transportation system that allows wheat, corn, and soybeans to be shipped safely and efficiently through the Pacific Northwest (PNW) to customers around the world. 

“Any disruption to that system would hurt our ability to consistently provide abundant, high-value food products and would weaken the competitiveness of U.S. producers in global markets. Grain growers in PNW states are at the tip of the spear of those who would feel the disruption of having to divert export goods to trucking and rail because there is insufficient alternative transportation infrastructure to replace the barge shipments of grain along the Columbia-Snake River System to export markets,” she testified.

Besides Chumrau, the committee heard testimony from representatives of the Council on Environmental Quality; the U.S. Department of Energy; the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; the Bonneville Power Administration; the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation; Pacific Northwest Waterways Association; and the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.

River fly-in

In February, Hennings led a group of Columbia-Snake River System users on a fly-in to Washington, D.C., to meet with congressional leaders. The group represented stakeholders from multiple sectors that rely on the river system, from energy to shipping to recreation. She said the purpose of the trip was to present a coalition of stakeholders who are united in protecting the dams and to highlight the national impacts breaching the dams could have.

Besides Hennings, the trip included Jeremy Nielsen, president of the Columbia River Pilots; Kurt Miller, executive director of the Northwest Public Power Association; Anthony Peña, government relations manager for the Pacific Northwest Waterways Association; Leslie Druffel, outreach coordinator for The McGregor Company; and Scott Corbitt, general manager for the Port of Lewiston. Each stakeholder came prepared with a one-page fact sheet that they presented; Hennings focused on the reliability and transportation aspects of the river system.

“One of the key points we shared with Congress is that the future of the lower Snake River dams isn’t just a regional issue. It is a national issue, because policies established for our dams will set a precedent for all river-dependent economies. The time to stand up for our communities is now,” said Miller.  

“For me, this was the most impactful trip I’ve ever had to Washington, D.C. We had a great cross section of river users who, with Michelle’s help, reduced a million talking points down to just two for each of us. It was a well-choreographed session in each office we visited, always leaving room for questions before we ran out of our allotted time. I think we logged over six miles of walking the first day, another four the next — certainly not an idle trip,” Druffel said.

“The fact that we had stakeholders with us from the different areas of Columbia-Snake River commerce really made the trip worthwhile,” Corbitt said. “We could talk through an issue and move it upriver and then down with our own perspectives. I think it made our messages to the members impactful.”

“We went to Washington, D.C., with a clear purpose — to amplify the needs and interests of our river communities in the ears of lawmakers. The Columbia-Snake River System, shaped by almost 100 years of federal investment, is a critical asset for our region’s environmental sustainability and economic success. The unanimous acknowledgment from all the offices we visited underscores a strong bipartisan commitment to uphold the essential functions of our waterways. This show of support demonstrates a profound appreciation for the historical and current value of the region and the nation’s inland waterway systems. Our discussions culminated in a shared resolution to work together, ensuring our rivers continue to thrive and drive regional growth,” Peña said.

“This trip to D.C. was a carefully planned and highly focused mission to bring the discussion of the Snake River dams to the national stage,” Nielsen said. “The joint effort of stakeholders working together on this trip highlighted the importance of the dams, not only on a local and regional level, but on a national and, even, international level.”

Most of the Congressional offices the group met with are members of committees that could touch on the dams. The group also met with Sean Babbington, a U.S. Department of Agriculture senior advisor; minority and majority staff of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee; and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s office.

“One of the goals of the trip was to show the unification of all the different sectors that support the river system. We met with a number of Midwest offices to discuss the impacts that would occur across the U.S. if our system was to be compromised. The meetings we held were very productive,” Hennings said. “It was also important to make clear to Congress that while the litigation agreement doesn’t specifically call for breaching the dams, if supporters can devalue the dams, they can go back to Congress and use that devaluation as a reason to breach the dams. We absolutely have to push back on that.”