The economic consulting firm ECONorthwest released a report this week analyzing the tradeoffs associated with removing the four lower Snake River dams in Washington, suggesting the benefits of removal exceed the costs by $8.6 billion, and thus the region would likely be better off without the dams. The study’s key finding is based on a claim their own narrative admits is false. Worse, it encourages politicians waste resources on dam removal that will do little for salmon, steering money away from projects that would meaningfully improve salmon habitat and populations. As recreation visits on the Elwha fell to zero, the number of hotel and restaurant jobs increased from 2219 to 2339. By Jacques Leslie • … The dams, in order from the mouth of the Snake, are Ice Harbor, Lower Monumental, Little Goose and Lower Granite. The number increased a little in 2017 but went down to zero again in 2018. Would you be willing to pay an additional ____ on your electric bill in order to ensure that wild salmon would be protected.”. What’s more, ECONorthwest’s own narrative admits the language of the question is false. According to a new report by ECONorthwest, households in Fresno, California and Butte, Montana are willing to pay $40 a year to destroy the four Lower Snake River Dams, whether they can find them on a map or not. According to a new report by ECONorthwest, households in Fresno, California and Butte, Montana are willing to pay $40 a year to destroy the four Lower Snake River Dams, whether they can find them on a map or not. No. ECONorthwest admits its survey language is false, The question not only includes slanted language, it is inaccurate. Fall chinook harvest is allowed from the mouth of the Snake River (Burbank to Pasco Railroad Bridge at Snake River mile 1.25) to Lower Granite Dam … California, Oregon, and WA budget agency say "yes.". To determine how much people would be willing to pay to remove the dams, ECONorthwest used a public opinion survey from Save Our Wild Salmon (SOWS), an environmental group dedicated to destroying the Snake River Dams. HB 1046: Subsidizing community solar is bad for ratepayers and for the environment, How a state agency hid key data in the Energy Strategy to protect a political talking point. Bonneville Power Administration uses the dams to … Whether the dams should stay or go has been a decades-long debate. This also gives us the opportunity to see if the loss of recreation had a negative impact on jobs. both commercial cargo and people. But all remaining salmon on its largest tributary, the Snake River, are facing extinction. CWIN-4 Abridged Vita W. ED. The SOWS poll surveyed 400 people in Washington state in 2018. The same trend was true in accommodation and food services. The results of the analysis suggest that society will incur some costs from dam removal due to lost barge transportation and effects on grid services, but the public benefits relative to costs strongly justify removing the Lower Snake River Dams. NOAA Fisheries released its recovery plan for Snake River Chinook in 2017, noting that destroying the dams would not guarantee recovery. The fight over salmon and dams on the Columbia and Snake rivers could be going back to the courtroom. Economicsand Honors College ADDRESS 72 West Broadway, Suite 206 University of Oregon Eugene, Oregon 97401 Eugene, Oregon 97403 (541) 687-0051 (541) 346-4661 This would not be acceptable in any professional poll. An environmentalist-sponsored study claims taking out it and three other dams would be beneficial to the region’s economy. A fact check. Now, they’re ready to sue. In other words, the benefits of dam removal are large enough to fully compensate individuals or industries that could experience costs if the dams are removed. If removing the dams increased recreation and employment, the complete elimination of recreational visits should have reduced the number of jobs in Clallam County. In 2015, there were a combined 957 jobs in Clallam County for the NAICS codes covering recreation, agriculture, forestry, hunting, and fishing. WHITELAW August 2016 POSITION Founder/Principal Professor Emeritus AND Figure It Out Now! Regarding your recent publication of the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin editorial on the economic analysis of Lower Snake River Dams removal by ECONorthwest… That bias is obvious in the wording of the question: “Removing four dams on the Lower Snake River would restore wild salmon and improve water quality, but might lead to a slight increase in electricity costs. This report—produced by experts at ECONorthwest—provides a cost/benefit analysis of removing the dams. Real-world data contradict the 1996 they rely on. In July, the consulting firm ECONorthwest released a study, paid for by the late Paul Allen’s Vulcan Inc., that concluded the economic consequences of removing the four Snake River dams … Water from the Snake River rushes down a fish ladder at Lower Monumental Dam on the Snake River. Q: Won’t the region experience skyrocketing utility rates when it loses the dams? The plan guides dam management on the Columbia River System, which includes the four controversial Snake River dams. Farmers and others oppose it. To some, a new report by ECONorthwest demonstrates that if a monetary value is given to restoring the environment, the economic benefits of removing the lower Snake River dams would more than exceed the costs. By TJ Martinell. According to the Army Corps, 200 to 300 gallons of turbine oil disappeared and presumably spilled into the lower Snake River. “Extensive evidence indicates that breaching the four lower Snake River dams would provide more certainty of achieving the kind of long-term … Rather than losing jobs when recreation went to zero, as the ECONorthwest study would imply, the number of jobs increased. The data contradict that claim. ECONorthwest researchers write that “the chance of meeting the recovery goals is estimated to be approximately 20 percent higher with dam removal for spring/summer Chinook.” Although the survey question says destroying the dams would “ensure that wild salmon would be protected,” ECONorthwest admits it would increase chances of recovery by a mere 20% (this claim is also dubious, but we will set that aside). The Lower Snake River dams produces 1,024 average MW, whichis equivalent to 16% of all of Bonneville Power Administration’s average hydropower production. The debate over removing the four dams on the lower Snake River has simmered for decades. In just nine months in 2017, over 3.5 million tons of cargo were barged on the Snake River. The four lower Snake River dams can generate enough electricity to power the entire city of Seattle. August 8, 2019 (Windust, WA)— The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Army Corps) may have spilled up to 300 gallons of oil into the Snake River from the aging Lower Monumental Dam. Here are just a few of the most significant flaws. Many modes of transportation come together at Northwest ports to provide efficient and safe movement of … Conservation and fishing groups say the federal government’s newest plans to manage dams and protect salmon is inadequate. This is contradicted by both the ECONorthwest study and NOAA Fisheries. When in late July, the consulting firm ECONorthwest (ECONW) released its study on the economic tradeoffs of removing the dams on the lower Snake River, US Reps. Cathy McMorris Rodgers and Dan Newhouse, both Republicans from Eastern Washington, immediately branded the report “a … Lower Monumental Dam. In his article (“A changing electrical grid may make Snake River dams expendable — and help save salmon,” Aug. 4), Rocky Barker relates an … People in Los Angeles, they claim, will flock … Economic Tradeoffs of Removing the Lower Snake River Dams The debate regarding the potential removal of the four Lower Snake River dams in Washington has been ongoing for over two decades, but much of the existing information is either outdated or incomplete. Each Snake River dam has a navigation lock that allows inland farmers access to international markets. August 22, 2019. Contradicting the projection cited by ECONorthwest, there was no increase in recreation once the dams were removed. 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