The governors of California and Oregon stood side-by-side with the U.S. Secretary of the Interior to sign their commitment to remove four hydroelectric dams from the 236-mile Klamath River.

But unlike the previous version of the agreement signed in 2010 that failed to gain traction in Congress, the new agreement signed Wednesday contained a new set of signatures, a new game plan, and a new federal entity to overcome.

While several Pacific Northwest tribes have yet to sign on to the new agreement, some tribal leaders stated that dam removal is a necessary step toward restoring the fish and habitat that are tied to their culture, economy and heritage.

“Those fish need to come back to our homeland in order for us to feel whole, in order for us to be the people our Creator intended us to be,” Klamath Tribes of Oregon Chairman Don Gentry said. “It’s a part of who we are. It’s a part of what’s been lost to us.”