HYDR CURRENTS

摘要

The U.S. State Department finalized Circular 175 in October, outlining and authorizing talks with Canada to modernize the Columbia River Treaty, which was signed in 1964. The government of Canada had refused to begin talks until the U.S. finalized its negotiating parameters. Circular 175 is based on recommendations from stakeholders in the Columbia River Basin. The recommendations balance ecosystem functions and community concerns, including hydro-power generation and flood control, according to a press release from U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash. In 2015, Cantwell and 25 other members of the Pacific Northwest Congressional delegation sent a letter to U.S. President Barack Obama urging the administration to move forward with a strategy for addressing the treaty. "The United States is officially ready to move forward on negotiating a new Columbia River Treaty," said Cantwell after hearing the good news from U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry.