Conservation groups, Native American tribes, and Pacific Northwest states returned to court after President Donald Trump withdrew from a $1 billion salmon recovery deal. The Resilient Columbia Basin Agreement would have funded restoration efforts while supporting tribal energy projects, but Trump called it "radical environmentalism" that could have resulted in dam breaching.

The lawsuit seeks changes to operations at eight hydropower dams on the Snake and Columbia Rivers to help endangered salmon. Federal attorneys oppose the modifications, warning they could compromise dam safety, increase utility rates, and disrupt navigation. The decades-long legal battle threatens to impact regional commerce and tribal cultural traditions that depend on salmon.

Fact: Four salmon stocks are extinct in the Columbia River Basin.

The dam operations conflict highlights tensions between economic interests and environmental protection. With salmon populations critically imperiled and dependent on these waterways, the court decision could reshape regional energy policy, transportation infrastructure, and tribal sovereignty.