Wash. residents divided on removing Snake River dams

摘要

People in Washington state remain sharply divided on whether four federal hydroelectric dams along the SnakeRiver should be removed to help endangered salmon and orca recover, a state report concluded.The final version of the report said the dams bring benefits and liabilities to the region, and there is no clearconsensus in the state on whether they should be retained."They have boosted the economy and local communities in southeast Washington but have also harmed tribaland fishing communities throughout the Pacific Northwest," said the report, released by Washington Gov. JayInslee (D).The contentious issue of removing the dams has been kicking around the Northwest for a couple of decades, andlargely breaks along political lines. Republicans tend to favor keeping the dams, while Democrats tend to be moreopen to removing them.