ODFW responds to sudden loss of BPA funding for Columbia River SAFE program

SALEM, Ore. – ODFW was notified today that the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) is terminating its share of funding for the Select Area Fisheries Enhancement (SAFE) Program in the Lower Columbia River effective September 30, 2026—providing barely three months' notice for a decision that carries major consequences for Oregon's commercial and recreational fisheries.

Without action by BPA, withdrawal of these funds places more than 7 million hatchery salmon currently in production at immediate risk and leaves an estimated $2.4 million funding gap across the three partners responsible for SAFE operations: ODFW, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), and Clatsop County.

According to Debbie Colbert, ODFW's director, "This decision by BPA caught us by surprise. It puts decades of fishery reform work at risk and goes against the recommendation of the regional fish and wildlife managers and the Northwest Power and Conservation Council to fund this work."

The sudden loss of BPA's support will have far‑reaching impacts, including:

• Major disruptions for commercial and recreational fisheries that rely on SAFE hatchery fish releases to provide predictable, sustainable harvest. In 2025 alone, landings in Oregon's SAFE commercial fisheries contributed almost $6 million in economic impacts to fishing communities regionally. On average, approximately 34 percent of fish harvested from SAFE production programs are taken home by recreational anglers, primarily in the ocean and lower Columbia River
• Immediate operational and financial strain on state and county partners who have no viable short-term replacement for the withdrawn BPA funds.
• Risk to ongoing reforms designed to shift commercial harvest away from the mainstem and protect weak and ESA-listed stocks.

"SAFE is a cornerstone program that provides terminal, ocean, and mainstem harvest opportunities, supports living-wage jobs in coastal communities, provides forage for critically endangered southern resident killer whales, and reduces pressure on vulnerable Columbia River stocks. Pulling funding with almost no notice undermines stability for both fishery managers and commercial and recreational fishers," said Tucker Jones, ODFW's Ocean Salmon & Columbia River Program Manager.

ODFW, WDFW, and Clatsop County are jointly assessing the potential impacts. The agencies will also be briefing state leadership, affected communities, and fishery stakeholders in the coming days. ODFW will share more information as the agency learns more.