Badger Mountain Project Paused Amid Concern About Native American Lands and Environmental Justice

Badger Mountain Project Paused Amid Concern About Native American Lands and Environmental Justice

The “green rush” of renewable energy development across Washington state has collided with Indigenous land rights and environmental justice concerns at the proposed Badger Mountain solar project. After a state archaeologist’s field survey uncovered over a dozen unrecorded sites of cultural significance, the developer, Avangrid Renewables, has temporarily paused permitting activities amid growing pushback from local tribal nations.

Native American Land Concerns

The Badger Mountain solar array was slated for development on a mix of public and private lands near the confluence of the Wenatchee and Columbia rivers. This area has long been a high-traffic corridor for the škwáxčənəxʷ and šnp̍əšqʷáw̉̍šəxʷ peoples, also known as the Moses Columbia and Wenatchi tribes, who are enrolled in the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation and the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation.

State lands archaeologist Sara Palmer, during her field inspections, quickly identified at least 17 sites of probable archaeological or cultural importance that were missing from Avangrid’s initial survey by consulting firm Tetra Tech. These included ancient stone structures, hunting and storage sites, and areas used for traditional Indigenous ceremonies and harvesting of first foods—the ingredients that make up the traditional diets of these tribes.

“What I had seen was very inconvenient to the development plans out there, and it was clearly something that the project proponents did not like,” Palmer told High Country News and ProPublica. Her findings highlighted the gaps in the state’s developer-led survey process, which has enabled companies to overlook or downplay the presence of culturally significant sites on public lands.

The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation and the Yakama Nation officially registered their opposition to the project in May 2023, citing the destruction of their ancestral food sources, archaeological heritage, and active ceremonial grounds on Badger Mountain. Under treaty rights, these tribal nations retain the ability to access and use public lands in their traditional territories.

“This is one of the last places where our roots aren’t being sprayed by anybody or they’re not grazed over by animals,” said Andy Joseph Jr., an elected member of the Colville Tribal Business Council. “It’s our food cache, and we don’t want it ruined.”

Environmental Justice Considerations

Beyond the cultural impacts, the Badger Mountain project also raises concerns about environmental justice. The area’s heirloom food crops, which are vital to the health and well-being of the local Native population, could be decimated by the solar development. This would exacerbate existing health disparities experienced by Indigenous communities in the region.

“Protecting the healthy foods on Badger Mountain is vital to the well-being of Native people, who experience some of the nation’s worst health disparities,” Joseph said. The loss of these traditional, uncontaminated food sources would further erode the tribes’ food sovereignty and self-determination.

Tribal leaders have emphasized the need to view renewable energy projects through an environmental justice lens, especially given the history of hydroelectric dams and other infrastructure developments that have inflicted “cultural genocide” on Indigenous communities in the name of progress.

“It’s a land grab,” said Yakama Nation archaeologist Noah Oliver, referring to the permitting and consultation process for these types of renewable energy projects. “The system we work under is broken.”

Project Pause and Implications

In response to the tribal opposition and the state’s own concerns about the inadequate cultural survey, the Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council—the agency responsible for permitting the Badger Mountain project—has ordered an independent, third-party cultural resources assessment. This is a rare move, as the council typically relies on developer-funded surveys.

“EFSEC will complete its review before making any recommendation to the Governor either to reject this project, to approve it as proposed, or to approve it with additional conditions,” said the council’s public information officer, Karl Holappa.

The pause in permitting activities provides an opportunity for more meaningful engagement with the affected tribal nations. However, some remain skeptical about the ultimate outcome, given the political and economic pressures to advance renewable energy projects in the state.

“I still don’t trust the process,” said Darnell Sam, the traditional territories coordinator for the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation. “We’re not against green energy. But where’s the responsible place for it to be?”

Ecological Impacts

Beyond the cultural and environmental justice concerns, the Badger Mountain project also has the potential to disrupt important habitats and wildlife corridors. The site is located within an eco-corridor that is home to a variety of species, including the pronghorn antelope, a threatened subspecies in Washington.

Researchers are working to understand the impacts of large-scale solar development on these sensitive ecosystems, but the long-term effects remain poorly understood. The Yakama Nation has expressed concerns about the project’s effects on the region’s biodiversity and the integrity of the broader landscape.

Community Engagement and Collaborative Decision-making

The Badger Mountain case highlights the need for more robust community engagement and collaborative decision-making processes when it comes to siting renewable energy projects. While the state has taken the rare step of ordering an independent cultural survey, tribal nations and environmental justice advocates argue that their voices should carry greater weight in these decisions.

“It’s incredibly important for tribal nations to have a decisive say over their land, territories, resources and people,” said Fawn Sharp, vice president of the Quinault Indian Nation and former president of the National Congress of American Indians. “For us to fully engage and fully exercise the broad spectrum of authorities that are inherent to our sovereign interests, we absolutely must have free prior and informed consent as a recognized policy.”

As the European Future Energy Forum ​ explores innovative solutions to accelerate the transition to clean energy, the Badger Mountain project serves as a cautionary tale about the need to prioritize environmental justice and meaningfully engage with Indigenous communities. By fostering collaborative decision-making and centering the needs of local stakeholders, the renewable energy transition can be both ecologically sustainable and socially equitable.

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