Chairman of the Water, Wildlife, & Fisheries (WWF) Subcommittee, Cliff Bentz, Chairwoman of Energy & Commerce, Cathy McMorris Rodgers, House Western Caucus Chairman Dan Newhouse, Congressman Fulcher, and Congressman Matt Rosendale of Montana sent a letter to Chairwoman of the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), Brenda Mallory, urging her to utilize the remaining 60-day stay period on the lower Snake River dam lawsuit to engage with all parties in the case.

Stakeholders from Idaho have been shut out of the mediation process concerning the lawsuit and the lower Snake River dams. Not only do Idahoans depend on the power systems in the Northwest that this lawsuit would affect, but they have been all but left to the wayside in the mediation process.

The letter led by Mr. Bentz, Chairman of WWF, is a series of urgent actions towards CEQ to establish a "durable long-term strategy" concerning the lower Snake River dams on the Snake River.

Only Congress can authorize changes to the authorized purposes of the lower Snake River dams. CEQ and all other relevant agencies to this matter must facilitate stakeholder engagement on the lower Snake River dams and not act in the stead of the elected Members of the House of Representatives and U.S. Senate in managing the dams.

Read the full letter here.