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Mr. BLUMENAUER. Mr. Speaker, today I am pleased to introduce the Columbia River In-Lieu and Treaty Fishing Access Sites Improvement Act, in partnership with some of my colleagues in the Senate. This legislation is just one part of the work we are pursuing, in coordination with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission and in collaboration with affected Columbia River Treaty Tribes, to improve conditions and address unmet tribal housing needs along the Columbia River.
This issue deserves significant attention and investment from the federal government. The history of the 31 Columbia River In-Lieu and Treaty Fishing Access Sites dates back decades. Western development, including construction of the three lower Columbia River dams beginning in the 1930s, displaced many members of the four Columbia River treaty tribes: the Warm Springs, Umatilla, Nez Perce, and Yakama Nation. Those tribes have a treaty-protected right to fish along the river at their usual and accustomed places, and were also promised housing to replace what was inundated after the dams became operational. That promise has largely not been kept. I'm working with my colleagues to address these unmet needs through the appropriations process and other legislation.
To address fishing access that was wiped out by the dams, the Corps constructed 31 small sites along the Columbia, designed primarily for daily, in-season fishing access and temporary camping. However, largely due to the lack of promised permanent housing and out of a desire to be closer to the Columbia River, their cultural heritage, and traditional fishing areas, many tribal members live in makeshift housing or shelters at these sites. Because they were not designed for longer-term or permanent use, the conditions at these sites are deeply distressing and unsafe, without proper electricity, sewers, or water. I have seen these conditions firsthand on multiple visits, and they have garnered attention from local and national media. The sites are in dire need of urgent upgrades to electrical, sewer, and other infrastructure, beyond their daily operations and maintenance needs.
This legislation calls for the Bureau of Indian Affairs to conduct a much-needed assessment of current conditions at the In-Lieu and Treaty Fishing Access sites under BIA ownership on both sides of the Columbia, in coordination with the Tribes. It authorizes the BIA to improve existing federal structures and infrastructure, improve sanitation and safety conditions, and improve access to electricity, sewer, and water infrastructure. BIA may contract with Tribes and Tribal organizations to conduct this important work that will lay a critical foundation for the construction of permanent tribal housing.
This is a significant and meaningful step in helping to improve conditions at these sites and should be passed by both the House and Senate. Our efforts will not stop here. I will continue working with federal partners and Tribal nations to see that the need for more permanent housing is fulfilled.
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