TOPPENISH -- Yakama tribal members Wednesday night reversed a previous decision and agreed to move forward on a plan to pour about $900 million into fish restoration on the Columbia River.

Yakama tribal leaders backed away from attending a Wednesday morning ceremony at Columbia Hills State Park to finalize the 10-year agreement because tribal members had voted against it 39-37 the night before.

The vote was held at the tribe's General Council meeting, where major decisions are made and voted upon by tribal members. Of those in attendance, 69 abstained from voting, saying they didn't have enough information to cast a vote.

Tribal members opposed to the agreement questioned how the money would be spent and weren't comfortable with the tribe agreeing to refrain from suing the federal government over any fish issues for the next 10 years.

"When you give up something for that amount of money, you're always going to lose something (vital)," said tribal member Deloris George.

But the tables were turned Wednesday night, when tribal members voted 196-41 to move forward with the agreement that promises to fund projects to improve habitat and fish-raising projects on the Columbia River.

Tribal Council Chairman Ralph Sampson Jr., who voiced frustration over the first vote that shot down the agreement, said a better informed tribal membership attended Wednesday's meeting.

"There were considerably more people that attended today," he said outside the meeting shortly after the vote.

Now, he has to set up another meeting with all parties involved to finalize the agreement, which could happen as early as Friday, he said.

He said the agreement will secure long-term funding for tribal fish-raising projects already in place.

"We've just got existing programs that it will help us keep funding so we won't have to go back and keep applying (for funding)," he said.

Earlier in the day, he described the move to pull out of the agreement as an "irresponsible act that could cause the tribe to lose out on millions of dollars."

Leaders from three other Columbia River tribes -- Warm Springs, Umatilla and Colville -- in addition to the Yakamas previously favored the agreement.

The money being poured into fish restoration would fund tribal fish-raising projects, including reviving the Yakamas' native coho project and building a fish hatchery near the Colville reservation.

In turn, the tribes will agree not to sue federal authorities that operate dams on the Columbia River over fish issues for the next 10 years.

Most of the money -- about $850 million -- will come from the Bonneville Power Administration, which manages power distribution on the Columbia River.

But of that amount, only about $540 million would go to new projects, while the rest will fund existing ones. The Yakamas stand to garner most of the funds, roughly $330 million, while the Colville tribe will get about $200 million. The Umatilla tribe stands to get $150 million, the Warm Springs will receive $80 million, and $90 million goes to the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission.

BPA officials estimate that the agreement, which requires final approval from a federal judge, will cause a rate increase of 2 percent to 4 percent in wholesale power prices.

"The bottom line is that all the millions that are going into this is coming from ratepayers," George said.

* Phil Ferolito can be reached at 577-7749 or pferolito@yakimaherald.com.