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Thorp, WA — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, visited Kittitas County to tour the Springwood Ranch, which was recently acquired as part of the Yakima Basin Integrated Plan (YBIP) after many years of effort by the Yakama Nation and stakeholders. Springwood Ranch is now jointly owned by the Yakama Nation, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Kittitas County, and the Kittitas Reclamation District. YBIP brings together state, federal, tribal, agricultural, and environmental stakeholders to develop a comprehensive strategy for water resource management and ecosystem restoration in the Yakima basin.
On the visit, Senator Murray heard from Yakama Nation members and local stakeholders about how the purchase of Springwood Ranch was a major victory for the Yakima Basin Integrated Plan. Springwood Ranch has served as a traditional gathering spot for Yakama Nation tribes, and has been used as a venue for tribal gatherings, trade events, and recreation for centuries. The 3,600 acres of land at Springwood Ranch will continue being used for cultural purposes as well as agriculture, habitat restoration along the 6.5 miles of Yakima River on the property, and an off-channel reservoir for vital water storage for the region. Joining Senator Murray for the visit were: Phil Rigdon, DNR Superintendent, Yakama Nation; Joe Blodgett, Project Policy Coordinator, Yakama Nation Fisheries; David Blodgett, Program Manager, Yakama Nation Fisheries; Urban Eberhart, Manager, Kittitas Reclamation District; Mike Livingston, South Central Regional Director (Region 3), Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife; Caseymac Wallahee, Yakama Nation Tribal Council; and Peter Dykstra with the Trust for Public Land, among others.
“I was glad to have the opportunity to join members of the Yakama Nation and local leaders to tour just some of the 3,600 acres of Springwood Ranch and see the reservoir firsthand, which will provide critical water storage and protect fisheries and agriculture in the Yakima Basin against drought. It was important to hear from Tribal members and stakeholders about what their priorities and plans are as this project moves forward, and how I can support them in their work to manage these lands and historic sites,” said Senator Murray. “This collaboration will improve water resources for nearby farms, safeguard critical wildlife habitat, all while honoring and preserving the cultural heritage of the Yakama Nation—it’s a true win-win for communities across the Yakima Basin and I couldn’t be more excited for the future of Springwood Ranch.”
“In 2025, the Yakima Basin is struggling through its third consecutive year of drought with the pro-ratable water users receiving 48 percent of our water supply. This drought is having a negative impact on both farms and fish. The Yakima Basin Integrated Plan partners appreciate Senator Murray making the time to visit the Springwood Reservoir project site. The construction of this reservoir will help meet the goals of the Yakima Basin Integrated Plan to provide this region with a strong economy and healthy ecosystem into the future,” said Kittitas Reclamation District Manager Urban Eberhart.
“The message that we need to carry on is the collaboration that’s taking place in this whole project. Look at what we can do when we have all these interest groups, with different goals and different agendas, coming together and working on this reservoir project and to show how successful we can be working together, rather than continuing to be divided,” said Joe Blodgett, Yakama Klickitat Fisheries Project manager
“The reservoir is going to help more fish survive and have more fish available to the fisherman that are both tribal and non-tribal. It also helps us with all the other listed species and restoration work of the last several decades. This fits into the bigger model of something for everybody, but also something that is going to have a profound impact on our ability to have water to manage for fish and fish migration in the Yakima Basin,” said Phil Rigdon, Yakama Nation Department of Natural Resources Superintendent.
“This is a role model for the entire nation on how to find common ground and work on behalf of both the environment and the economy. And supporting this project is going to do just that,” said Mike Livingston, Regional Director at Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife.
As a voice in the U.S. Senate for Washington state’s Tribal governments and communities, Senator Murray has long worked to make sure our nation lives up to its promises to support Tribal infrastructure, health care, education, housing, natural resources management, and more. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Senator Murray was instrumental in passing as then-Assistant Majority Leader provided more than $13 billion to directly support Tribal communities and made Tribes eligible to apply for or request billions in discretionary, formula, and other funding to deploy record investments to provide affordable high-speed internet, safer roads and bridges, modern wastewater and sanitation systems, clean drinking water, reliable and affordable electricity, and good paying jobs in every Tribal community. In total, this funding represents the single largest investment in Tribal infrastructure ever.
Senator Murray has also been a champion for protecting and strengthening critical salmon and fish populations throughout her time in the Senate. Senator Murray secured a historic $2.85 billion investment in salmon and ecosystem restoration programs—including $400 million for a new community-based restoration program focused on removing fish passage barriers in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law—and in the Inflation Reduction Act, Murray secured hundreds of millions for Washington state priorities including $15 million for the Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund, $3 million to support facilities at the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary, $27 million for Pacific salmon research, and more. Last Congress, as then-Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Murray protected critical funding for salmon recovery and fishery projects in the Fiscal Year 2024 government spending bills she negotiated and passed into law, including securing: $50 million in the construction of the Howard Hanson Dam Fish Passage facility; $75 million for the Pacific Salmon account at the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), $65 million for the Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund, $54 million for the EPA’s Puget Sound Geographic Program, and more.
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