The National Grange recently penned a letter to lawmakers expressing concerns over proposals to remove dams along the Snake River in Washington state.
The letter alleges that dam removals would “totally disrupt an entire rural region of our country that depends upon this infrastructure for clean electrical power, agricultural irrigation, transportation, flood control, recreation, and jobs.” The National Grange believes that any plan to remove any dam in the Columbia/Snake River System must include an equitable and robust economic transition plan. The Grange is a social organization that encourages families to band together to promote the economic and political well-being of the community and agriculture, and includes more than 140,000 members.
The letter follows legislation introduced last month regarding the issue by Representative Dan Newhouse, a Washington state Republican. The Defending Against Manipulative Negotiators Act would prohibit the use of federal funds from being used in breaching or altering the Lower Snake River Dams and prohibit the implementation of the Columbia Basin Restoration Initiative.
