econorthwest snake river dams

Each Snake River dam has a navigation lock that allows inland farmers access to international markets. WHITELAW August 2016 POSITION Founder/Principal Professor Emeritus AND Figure It Out Now! The results of the analysis suggest that society will incur some costs from dam removal due to lost barge transportation and effects on grid services, but the public benefits relative to costs strongly justify removing the Lower Snake River Dams. In other words, the benefits of dam removal are large enough to fully compensate individuals or industries that could experience costs if the dams are removed. Rather than losing jobs when recreation went to zero, as the ECONorthwest study would imply, the number of jobs increased. Supporters of retaining the lower Snake River dams warn that if they are removed, the hydropower dams on the Columbia between Washington and … As efforts continue in favor of breaching the lower Snake River dams to aid salmon and Southern Resident Killer whale recovery, NOAA Fisheries – also known as the National Marine Fisheries Service – is close to finishing a new analysis of the dams as part of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) prepared by three federal agencies. Study assumes people in Seattle, San Diego, and Idaho Falls are the same. They understand that geography is not fungible. Conservation and fishing groups say the federal government’s newest plans to manage dams and protect salmon is inadequate. The four lower Snake River dams can generate enough electricity to power the entire city of Seattle. Regarding your recent publication of the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin editorial on the economic analysis of Lower Snake River Dams removal by ECONorthwest… Rather than declining the number of jobs increased in 2016 to 992. Worse, it encourages politicians waste resources on dam removal that will do little for salmon, steering money away from projects that would meaningfully improve salmon habitat and populations. This report—produced by experts at ECONorthwest—provides a cost/benefit analysis of removing the dams. The question promises destroying the dams would “restore wild salmon” in exchange, there “might” be a “slight increase in electricity costs.” This fundamentally disingenuous (and inaccurate) question is the foundation of the study. By TJ Martinell. Farmers and others oppose it. As recreation visits on the Elwha fell to zero, the number of hotel and restaurant jobs increased from 2219 to 2339. When in late July, the consulting firm ECONorthwest (ECONW) released its study on the economic tradeoffs of removing the dams on the lower Snake River, US Reps. Cathy McMorris Rodgers and Dan Newhouse, both Republicans from Eastern Washington, immediately branded the report “a … In the same way we wouldn’t believe a “statewide” poll that only surveyed people from Yakima, it makes no sense to assume that people in San Diego have the same willingness to pay as people in Seattle for an issue in Washington state. To determine how much people would be willing to pay to remove the dams, ECONorthwest used a public opinion survey from Save Our Wild Salmon (SOWS), an environmental group dedicated to destroying the Snake River Dams. The problems outlined here, however, are enough to demonstrate the uselessness of this report. The dams, in order from the mouth of the Snake, are Ice Harbor, Lower Monumental, Little Goose and Lower Granite. The report, released last week by ECONorthwest, lays out the financial case for removing the Ice Harbor, Lower Monument, Little Goose and Lower Granite dams, which sit on the Snake River … The debate regarding the potential removal of the four Lower Snake River dams in Washington has been ongoing for over two decades, but much of the existing information is either outdated or incomplete. The data contradict that claim. There are many other flaws. In his article (“A changing electrical grid may make Snake River dams expendable — and help save salmon,” Aug. 4), Rocky Barker relates an … The claims are based, in part, on a 1996 study that claimed removing the dams on the Elwha River would “would result in 500,000 more visitor days to the area per year from U.S. residents alone, with associated expenditures of $43.8 million per year. Ensure that wild salmon would be protected. ” it is inaccurate on inaccurate and unscientific claims and research supply... 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