A company developing an industrial-scale solar panel array on Badger Mountain in eastern Washington has suspended permitting for the project due to concerns about its impact on Native American cultural heritage.
This decision: An investigation by High Country News and ProPublica this yearThe investigation found that a land survey funded by developer Avangrid Renewables omitted more than a dozen archaeologically or culturally significant sites on public parcels in the project area, which is required before the state can permit the project and begin construction.
In a June 27 letter to the state agency responsible for approving the project, Avangrid said it was suspending plans for the project for two to three months “while we reevaluate public input, including input from project landowners and affected tribal nations.”
The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation have long opposed the Badger Mountain Solar Project. According to Karen Condon of the Tribal Business Council:They formally filed their objection in May 2023, citing food, medicine, archaeological sites and other cultural resources found on the mountain. They were joined shortly thereafter by the Confederated Tribes of the Yakama Nation. Both tribes have the right to access and use public lands in their ancestral territories, including state lands on Badger Mountain.
Due to concerns from tribal nations and state agencies, the governor-appointed Energy Site Review Board previously ordered a redo of the cultural resources study.
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“While the permitting process is paused, Avangrid continues to evaluate other elements of the Badger Mountain project,” a company spokesperson said in an email to High Country News and ProPublica.
The future of the Badger Mountain Solar Project is unclear. An Avangrid spokesperson wrote, “We have a strong relationship with the Badger Mountain Solar Project.” [Washington’s Department of Natural Resources] “We have made significant contributions to our operational projects, appreciate their participation in advancing clean energy in the state, and look forward to continuing to work with them to advance new clean energy projects.”
The Department of Natural Resources, which owns the land and will assess the environmental and cultural impacts of any project on the land, said the pause is a chance to hold further discussions with tribes and potential stakeholders. [go] “More and more archaeological sites and plant resources are being found in the region, raising more concerns,” Louis Fortin, the department’s science consultation manager, said in an email to High Country News and ProPublica.
Fortin noted that some of the leases with private landowners expire in December 2023, and some of the landowners plan not to renew those leases. Much of the project is on private land, suggesting that much of the project may no longer be viable for reasons unrelated to cultural resources. Avangrid did not respond to inquiries about the private landowners’ concerns.
In March, the Wenatchee-Puskuosa tribe and a group of supporters Gathered at Badger Mountain To oppose proposed solar development that would affect important food and archaeological heritage.
After hearing about Avangrid’s shutdown, Darnell Sam, one of the organizers for the Wenatchee-Puskuosa tribe, told High Country News and ProPublica he wasn’t convinced the tribe’s concerns would significantly change the course of the development. “I still don’t trust the process,” he said, noting that the developer has already invested millions of dollars in the project. Sam is traditional territory coordinator for the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, where the Wenatchee-Puskuosa tribe is enrolled, but said his views are his own and don’t necessarily reflect those of his office.
His distrust, he explained, is largely due to the experiences of his Yakama neighbors, who have opposed the pumped hydro project for years. It was also the subject of investigations by High Country News and ProPublica. About 200 miles south of Badger Mountain, an investigation was launched into how federal agencies circumvented consultation obligations. Despite tribal opposition, development continued to go ahead.
“We’re not against green energy,” Sam says, “but where is the responsible place to introduce green energy?”
This article was produced in partnership with ProPublica.‘Local reporting network.
