Earlier today PacifiCorp made a filing with the Federal Energy Regulatory (FERC) accepting the terms and conditions propsed to govern the surrender of PacifiCorp's license for the Condit Hydroelectric Project including removal of the dam.

In their letter to FERC, PacifiCorp states, "we will commence with the decommissioning of the Condit Project." While FERC formally ordered removal of the dam in December 2010, today's announcement that PacifiCorp will accept the terms of that removal order and a subsequent order issued in April 2011 is an important demonstration of commitment to removing the dam and restoring the river. It represents the culmination of several months of hard work by PacifiCorp, Washington Department of Ecology, and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

"Reconnecting river habitat has clear benefits for fish but there are also important community and recreational benefits," notes Thomas O'Keefe, Pacific Northwest Stewardship Director for American Whitewater. "The White Salmon River is known around the world for its outstanding whitewater. As we begin the final countdown to draining the reservoir this October it's like waiting for Christmas morning to see what new whitewater features may emerge that have been buried under the reservoir for the last century. We can't wait!"