Comments from U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. supporting breaching the lower Snake River dams didn’t sit well with some of Idaho’s Republican leaders.
RFK Jr. visited the Nez Perce Tribe’s fish hatchery east of Lewiston last week, among other stops.
As the Lewiston Tribune first reported, Kennedy told tribal leaders salmon are vital to Indigenous communities and talked about his past work to breach the lower Snake River dams.
“We fought many years to dismantle the Snake River dams and to reopen them to the salmon,” he said. “In the meantime, until that day happens, we need these hatcheries, and we need to keep the salmon stocks alive and flourishing.”
According to the newspaper, Kennedy connected the increasing loss of salmon to the general poor health of Indigenous communities in the Pacific Northwest.
Following his comments, Senate Republican leaders issued a statement, praising him for his efforts to promote “medical freedom.” But they said they remain steadfast in their “unwavering” opposition to removing these four dams.
“They provide carbon-free energy, affordable electricity for rural Idahoans, efficient and sustainable transportation of our goods, and irrigation that supports the most productive farmland in the country,” wrote Senate Pro Tem Kelly Anthon (R-Burley), who met with Kennedy during his stop in Boise.
“The people of Idaho, not Washington, D.C., should decide the future of our water and infrastructure,” Anthon said, referencing the four dams located in neighboring Washington State.
“This is not just a policy debate — it is about protecting the livelihood of Idahoans,” said Senate Majority Leader Lori Den Hartog (R-Meridian).
“We cannot allow environmental politics to override science, sovereignty, and the well-being of our citizens.”
The Trump administration in June cancelled a $1 billion agreement with tribes in the Columbia River Basin that paused salmon lawsuits in exchange for water restoration and clean energy projects.
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