Upper Columbia adjudication pilot draws tribal support and tribal concern over exclusions HB 25‑44 would create a phased pilot adjudication for the Upper Columbia, prioritizing early tribal and federal settlement talks and delaying wider summonses until a later phase; tribal leaders and Ecology supported streamlining while the Yakama Nation expressed concern that the proposal could exclude relevant treaty claims and create legal risk.

House Bill 25-44 proposes a groundbreaking phased approach to water adjudication in the Upper Columbia, aiming to fast-track tribal and federal claims but raising concerns about potential exclusions.

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