NGFA to Participate in Dam Breaching Listening Session

This article is taken from NGFA's March 17 newsletter.

The White House Council on Environmental Quality has scheduled a listening session on March 31 to hear the public’s perspective on breaching the Lower Snake River dams.

Breaching the dams is currently being explored as part of the Columbia River System Operations mediation. NGFA President Mike Seyfert will be speaking during the session to comment on the severe economic harm of breaching these dams. NGFA encourages members to also sign up to participate.

Use this link to register for the listening session.

The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) is mediating the process to find a long-term plan for the Columbia River Basin and the upcoming listening session is an opportunity for non-FMCS participants to share their concerns.

The Columbia-Snake River System is the third-largest grain export corridor in the world, transporting nearly 30 percent of U.S. grain and oilseed exports. Breaching the Lower Snake River Dams in the Pacific Northwest would create severe economic harm to the entire U.S. agricultural value chain.

Removing the LSRD will hurt producers and negatively impact the operations and livelihoods of NGFA members who have made investment decisions based on the ability to utilize barge transportation.