CRITFC’s Plan to Bring U.N. Agenda 2030 Policies to the PNW Dams Debate

The Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (CRITFC) has a plan for improving conditions for the fish of the Pacific Northwest (PNW) by implementing United Nations Agenda 2030 climate change renewable energy policies.

Idaho Dispatch reported on the Northwest Intertribal Food Sovereignty Summit held earlier this year in Worley, Idaho. We explained that some of the literature shared at the summit included topics such as Columbia River fishing history and traditions, “climate smart gardening,” recipes based on the “First Foods” (the staple foods in the diets of the Tribes indigenous to the northwest), climate change adaptation projects, the Lapwai Food Trail, and conservation.

During the food sovereignty conference, truncated printed materials were distributed explaining the CRITFC’s vision for our region, and the plans to use the UN Agenda 2030 climate change and renewable resources guidelines as a roadmap to change the PNW. This included a 13-page booklet entitled Energy Vision for the Columbia River Basin. The full version of this document available on the CRITFC’s website is 208 pages in length. You can find it, read it, and download it here.

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In a section labeled Executive Summary, CRITFC says the PNW is facing four critical issues:

1. Many Columbia Basin salmon and steelhead populations are near extinction.
2. The climate crisis is already underway; without strong action, it will further reduce the survival of salmon and steelhead and damage every part of the region’s economy and environment.
3. Renewable resources will play a larger role in meeting future electricity needs in the region. Under the right conditions they can reduce greenhouse gases and benefit salmon.
4. . Without proper integration and siting, renewable resources can make things worse for Columbia River salmon and other tribal resources.

You can read Idaho Dispatch’s reporting of the debate surrounding PNW dams, salmon health, and energy here, here, here, and here.

CRITFC summarizes their goals and mission by saying,

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“A major theme of this Energy Vision is to ensure that renewable resources in combination with increased storage, reductions in peak demand, and increased energy efficiency can provide clean, adequate, reliable, and affordable electricity, support the restoration of healthy, harvestable salmon populations, and prevent future damage to salmon and steelhead and other tribal resources caused by the electrical system.”

In a section highlighting the most important steps which they say need to be taken in order to address the four “critical issues” described above, CRITFC says,

“Improve River Configuration and Operations: The region needs to plan for changes to reduce the damage to migrating salmon and steelhead caused by the Columbia Basin dams, including breaching the four lower Snake River dams.”

Throughout the printed materials and website, the CRITFC describes itself this way,

“The CRITFC was created by the Nez Perce, Umatilla, Warm Springs, and Yakama tribes in 1977. CRITFC provides technical, policy coordination, and enforcement services to the four tribes.”

But when searched on two different online search engines, CRITFC is described as a government entity.

Many of the 43 specific recommendations of the 2022 Energy Vision Full Recommendations directly align with the goals and plans described in United Nations Agenda 2030.

Under “Reduce Peak (Energy) Loads,”

Recommendation 5: Northwest public utility commissions should implement time-of-use rates to send an appropriate price signal that captures the dramatically different costs of using electricity during different times of the day.

Recommendation 7: Automobile manufactures should include systems that allow electric vehicles to schedule charging during off-peak periods.

In the “Maximize Energy Efficiency” subsection,

“Recommendation 19: All tribal homes and businesses should be fully weatherized by 2025 and all tribal homes and businesses should receive solar panels and battery systems that provide zero net energy by 2030.”

In the section labeled “Harness Renewable Resources and Integrate/Synergize with Electricity Storage,”

Recommendation 24: Utilities and BPA should continue to pursue wind development, and the associated efforts to integrate wind power, consistent with the tribal concerns and protections for fish, wildlife, and cultural resources.

Recommendation 25: The region should expand its efforts to promote utility-scale solar energy.

“Address the Climate Crisis” has three recommendations,

Recommendation 39: Federal, state, and local policy makers should develop programs to reduce the use of fossil fuels.

Recommendation 40: Federal and state governments should end all subsidies for fossil fuels.

Recommendation 41: Utilities, tribes, farming, and non-governmental organizations should implement pilot projects to sequester carbon dioxide.

The final divided section entitled Additional Considerations includes,

Recommendation 43: Utilities and Public Utility Commissions should adopt policy to deny service for cryptocurrency mining in the Northwest.

The printed booklet concludes with CRITFC’s Call for Action. Online it is found here. It says,

“The Northwest is at a critical crossroads, facing challenges to the health of the planet and the future of iconic fish and wildlife. These challenges are especially important to tribal resources that have sustained tribal people since time immemorial.

One path leads to affordable, carbon-free energy that harmonizes with the ecosystem. This future would prioritize energy efficiency, renewable resources, new storage technologies, reductions in peak loads, and other strategies that are compatible with the needs of fish and wildlife. These efforts would reduce the impacts of renewable resource projects and transmission lines on tribal resources and save consumers money.

The other path creates conflicts between renewable resources and tribal resources and results in higher costs for consumers.

Choosing the first path will require the courage to act, common-ground solutions, and a commitment of resources to accomplish the hard work ahead. It will also require the humility to periodically evaluate and adjust course based on new information and understanding.

CRITFC and its member tribes are committed to working with other regional interests to lead the region to a brighter and healthier future. Affordable and reliable power is important to regional families and businesses, tribal and non-tribal. The true wealth of our region begins with the health of our rivers, fish, and the ecosystem they support, which is our culture, history, and future.”

United Nations Agenda 2030 can be found and studied here. The Water Action Agenda can be found here. It includes goals such as,

“By 2030, enhance international cooperation to facilitate access to clean energy research and technology, including renewable energy, energy efficiency and advanced and cleaner fossil-fuel technology, and promote investment in energy infrastructure and clean energy technology.”

In this article from February 2024, the Forest Service within the U.S. Department of Agriculture describes the Biden Administration’s involvement:

“…the Biden-Harris Administration is investing $20 million to support federally recognized Tribes and Alaska Native corporations and villages as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. The funding, made possible by President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act and distributed through competitive grants administered by the USDA Forest Service, will help recipients access emerging private markets for forest resilience, climate mitigation, water quality, carbon sequestration and more.”

It goes on to explain,

“In fiscal year 2023, the USDA Forest Service and Tribes executed more than 120 co-stewardship agreements, representing a total investment of $68 million, more than triple the investments from fiscal year 2022. Agreements include $37 million in 12 self-determination agreements — up by nearly 90% compared to fiscal year 2022.”

Found here and labeled 2030 Agenda And Indigenous Peoples,

“As a result of Indigenous Peoples’ strong engagement in the process towards the 2030 Agenda, the final resolution “Transforming Our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development” (A/RES/70/1) refers to Indigenous Peoples 6 times, three times in the political declaration; two in the targets under Goal 2 on Zero Hunger (target 2.3) and Goal 4 on education (target 4.5) – and one in the section on follow up and review that calls for Indigenous Peoples’ participation. See this overview of references to Indigenous Peoples: Indigenous Peoples and the 2030 Agenda Infographics

Apart from the direct references, many of the Sustainable Development Goals and associated targets are relevant for Indigenous Peoples. Moreover, the overarching framework of the 2030 Agenda contains numerous elements that can go towards articulating the development concerns of Indigenous Peoples. Of significance is the fact that human rights principles and standards are strongly reflected in the 2030 Agenda (A/RES/70/1 paragraph 10). Moreover, the 2030 Agenda overall focus on reducing inequalities is of particular relevance to Indigenous Peoples, who are almost universally in situations of disadvantage vis-à-vis other segments of the population.

The global indicator framework that will measure progress of implementation of the 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) includes two indicators that refers directly to Indigenous Peoples (Indicator 2.3.2 and 4.5.1) and several other indicators that are relevant for Indigenous Peoples, particularly indicator 1.4.2 and 5.a.1 on land rights. Moreover, there has been much focus on the need of disaggregation of data which the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues among others have been advocating for.”

Article photos courtesy of the United Nations