1. The Great Salmon Runners Return -"I think we're taking this whole salmon metaphor way too far...." - Endurance athletes Ty Draney and Luke Nelson complete an epic journey.

2. Dams are falling (but the sky is not) - Elwha, Condit, and the Year of the River.

3. Updates from the Blog - HR 1719, giant salmon greets the President, and study finds fish still like water.

4. Nez Perce Tribe calls for leadership - Chairman of the Tribe's Executive Committee calls on Idaho's Senator Mike Crapo to help craft "solutions table".

1. The Great Salmon Runners Return

"I think we're taking this whole salmon metaphor way too far..." - Luke Nelson and Ty Draney complete an epic journey.

As you may recall, last weekend endurance athletes Luke Nelson and Ty Draney set off along the Middle Fork of the Salmon River into the Frank Church / River of No Return Wilderness in central Idaho.  Their mission: cover over 120 miles of rugged terrain - with an elevation gain approaching 20,000 feet - in less than two days, all to raise funds and awareness for SOS' campaign to restore Columbia-Snake River salmon. In a nutshell, they made it.  What was thought to be 120 miles turned out to be closer to 140.  But it sounds and looks like it was quite an adventure.  Click through the stories below to find out more. It's not too late to donate to this project.  Please give what you can to help our cause: Donate Here.

And thank you. News on the Great Salmon Run Pocatello Man Attempts 'The Great Salmon Run'- Public News Service

"The restoration of salmon has a lot more to do with than just saving fish. It brings back jobs. It brings back cultural aspects that have been lost," said Luke Nelson.  Read more >

From Luke Nelson's blog, The Challenge of Balance: We kept pressing forward now with darkness settling in for a second time during the trip, our bodies ached, but we knew it would be too cold to hunker down near the lakes at nearly 9000'.  We had to keep moving.  Just as the sun set we heard an amazing sonnet of an elk bugling quite near to where we were, we joked that he was cheering us on, but now I think he was trying to warn us‚Ķ More > From Ty Draney's blog, El Vaquero Loco: The thought of warm food at the Flying B kept us plodding on, excited to get off our feet and fill our bellies. It became painfully obvious by 9 p.m. that our progress was going to be too slow-we weren't going to be able to make dinner. About 7 miles short of our goal, approximately 60 miles into our trip we decided to sleep on a beach along the river. There was a group there already but they graciously gave us a spot by the fire, and some tube steaks. Never did a hot dog taste so good. More >

2. In the Northwest, dams are falling (but the sky is not)

Elwha, Condit, and the Year of the River.

While dams across the country are being removed to restore healthier, free-flowing rivers, in many ways the Northwest - and especially Washington and Oregon - has taken the nod to become the epicenter for the movement these days.

These historic projects are restoring healthy rivers, recovering fish populations, providing increased fishing opportunities, and creating much-needed jobs.  Our partners at American Rivers have rightly dubbed 2011 The Year of the River.

September on the Elwha: Amid much fanfare last month, the restoration of the Elwha River – throttled by two gigantic concrete walls for 100 years – began with massive jackhammers and backhoes. The removal of America’s largest dams yet will require about 2.5 years to complete. During its pre-dam glory, the Elwha River drainage was a premier salmon and steelhead river - home to more 400,000 fish each year; 100-pound chinook as well as chum, sockeye, coho, pinks, and steelhead. Restoring this river is expected to generate over time the greatest salmon restoration this country has yet seen.

While there are some emerging debates and disagreements about techniques being used to restore salmon and steelhead populations, such as the sources of fish being used to repopulate the basin and whether the use of hatcheries in this case is a wise choice, Save Our Wild Salmon is excited about this project and the fact that we have progressed to the point where we are now having these types of debates, about how we will recover fish in the newly-restored river.

Year of the River: Episode 1 from Andy Maser on Vimeo.

October on the White Salmon: Following quickly on the heels the Elwha River process is the removal of Condit Dam and restoration of the White Salmon River, a tributary of the Columbia River in southwest Washington. On October 26, contractors will blast a hole in the dam’s concrete base and drain the 92-acre reservoir in just six hours. The torrent will snake 3.3 miles downstream to the Columbia River, taking with it millions of cubic yards of sediment that have settled behind the dam over the past 98 years. While Elwha River restoration is slow-going, a free-flowing White Salmon River will occur literally overnight, though the full removal of the dam is expected to take months, and washing out the load of sediments downstream from the dam site may ultimately take a couple of years. White Salmon Fall Chinook salmon were recently trapped downstream and transported above the dams into habitat they have not visited in nearly a century. They are already making nests and kick-starting the re-colonization process.

Please check out filmmaker Andy Maser's White Salmon Timelapse Project.  Here's a sample

Condit Dam Update 1: Buildup to the Blast from Andy Maser on Vimeo.

Recent coverage on the Elwha and White Salmon River Restoration efforts: (1) Seattle Times: Elwha River Restoration video (2) Elwha River Restoration Webcams. (3) White Salmon River Restored– a timelapse project from filmmaker Andy Maser. (4) Yakima-Herald Republic: Run Free, White Salmon.

3.Updates from the blog.

What do wild salmon, failed nuclear plants, and Google have in common?

They all play a role in how the hugely complex Federal Columbia River Power System‚ and the agency that runs it, the Bonneville Power Administration‚ makes and spends money. That was the take-home message from a hearing held yesterday in the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water and Power about a controversial bill, the Endangered Species Compliance and Transparency Act, or HR 1719.

Read more from Gilly Lyons over on the blog.

President Obama Greeted in Seattle by a 25-foot Salmon

Last Sunday, September 25th, President Obama visited Washington State on a very brief fundraising trip lasting mere hours that included stops at a private home in Medina and the Paramount Theater in Seattle. Because Presidential visits are rare occurrences in Seattle (his last visit was in 2009), we thought we would use the occasion to send President Obama a special message regarding salmon and jobs in the Northwest.

See Fin in action here. 

Salmon still like water, BPA wind policy flawed

A new report released today concludes that the facts simply don't support the Bonneville Power Administration's choice of dam energy over wind energy policies this spring - under the rationale of ‚Äúprotecting salmon". Turns out salmon still like water. Read on.

4.Nez Perce Tribe calls for leadership from Senate.
Chairman of the Tribe's Executive Committee calls on Idaho's Senator Mike Crapo to help craft "solutions table".

This week, Brooklyn D. Baptiste, Chairman of the Nez Perce Tribal Excecutive Committee wrote a letter to Idaho's Senator Mike Crapo seeking his help to set up solutions-oriented talks among stakeholders in the Columbia-Snake Basin.  Here is an excerpt of their letter:

"In conjunction with the legal discussions that would be necessary between NWF, the State of Oregon, the Tribe and the United States, the Tribe believes there will be value in establishing a stakeholder "solutions table" to explore all scientifically-sound options and to help develop recommendations to the Administration and Congress that could lead to the recovery of imperiled populations of salmon and steelhead while simultaneously providing new opportunities that accommodate and even enhance the social and economic needs of affected communities and of the region at large." As you may recall, the Nez Perce and the State of Oregon have fought alongside salmon and fishing advocates across the country in pushing for a new direction from the President Obama and the federal agencies. If you haven't already, please stand with them and take action here:
Send a message to the Obama administration. Read the letter on Rocky Barker's Idaho Statesman blog or download the letter here.

IN THIS ISSUE:

1. 10 years of ‘salmon spill’ over Columbia and Snake river dams.

2. Columbia River Treaty: Modernize it already! Salmon, fishing and faith leaders meet with Senator Murray

3. American Rivers lists the Columbia River among our nation’s Most Endangered Rivers in 2015 (ACTION ALERT)

4. Hundreds gather to honor a champion for fish and fishing communities: Zeke Grader

5. Salmon Mean Business: A HUGE thank you to PATAGONIA!

- TUESDAY, MAY 5, 2015 IS GIVEBIG -

WE HOPE THAT YOU'LL GIVE GENEROUSLY TO SUPPORT SOS' WORK TO PROTECT AND RESTORE

HEALTHY RIVERS AND WILD SALMON IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST!

1. 10 years of ‘salmon spill’ over Columbia and Snake river dams.
Spill is perhaps the most effective measure we have used (so far!) to increase the survival of wild salmon and steelhead in the Columbia and Snake rivers. The unfortunate irony of spill is that is has come in spite of rather because of the federal agencies charged to protect and restore the Northwest’s most iconic fish.

2015 is the 10th Anniversary of court-ordered spill. In 2005, Judge James Redden rejected another federal salmon plan as inadequate and illegal and agreed with the plaintiffs’ (salmon and fishing advocates, the State of Oregon, and a number of Columbia Basin Tribes) request for mandatory ‘salmon spill’ over federal dams on the Columbia and Snake rivers in the spring and summer - the time when juvenile fish are migrating to the ocean.

Spill has long been recognized by salmon biologists as one of our most effective recovery strategies short of dam removal. Spill sends water (and young salmon) over the dams rather than through spinning turbines or transported in barges. Spill delivers juvenile fish to the ocean more quickly and safely, increases their survival, and leads to greater adult returns several years later.

Before 2005, the federal agencies made a habit of producing salmon plans that included spill as a possible action. In practice however, they rarely if ever used it voluntarily. That changed in 2005 when, faced with another illegal federal salmon plan, the court ordered the agencies to spill water for out-migrating juvenile salmon in the spring. Starting in 2006, the order included spill in both spring and summer – from April to August. With the support of the plaintiffs - and often over the objections of federal agencies - spill has been mandated by the court each year since then.

Led by Bonneville Power Administration, the agencies fought spill tooth and nail during many years that followed. Utilities oppose spill because it sends water over the tops of dams rather than through turbines, so they make a little less money. Despite BPA’s exaggerated claims that spill would cause electrical rates to skyrocket, few homeowners even noticed the increase of less than $2.00 on their monthly bill.

Northwest salmon and people have benefitted from court-won spill for the last ten years. Combined with favorable ocean conditions, spill has increased juvenile salmon and steelhead survival and subsequent adult returns. Columbia River fall chinook and sockeye have fared best in recent years; 2014 returns totaled 1.1M and .5M respectively. It has also helped stabilize and/or modestly increase a number of ESA-listed stocks.

In recent years, a team of state, Tribal and federal scientists have recommended expanding levels of spill in the spring and summer in order to rebuild (rather than merely stabilize) at-risk populations, but this effort so far has been blocked by federal agencies and states of Washington and Idaho. SOS supports permanently expanded spill on the Columbia River, and on the Snake River only until its four federal dams can be removed.

For further information on the status and trends of wild salmon and steelhead populations in the Columbia Basin today,  download SOS' new factsheet here.

2. Columbia River Treaty: Modernize it already! Salmon, fishing and faith leaders meet with Senator Murray
Save Our wild Salmon’s Joseph Bogaard was recently joined by six Northwest conservation, fishing and faith leaders for a meeting with Senator Patty Murray to discuss the importance of modernizing the U.S. – Canada Columbia River Treaty. Established in 1964, the treaty prioritized power production and flood control – at great cost to the health of the river, its fish and wildlife, and nearby Tribal and non-tribal communities.

There are many reasons for modernizing this agreement and ensuring that the river’s health and its fish and wildlife populations are properly represented in all future treaty management decisions. Achieving a modernized Treaty will help provide some measure of justice for Columbia Basin Tribes who were excluded from the treaty's original negotiations and implementation; improve the river’s resilience to mounting climate impacts; and protect the interests of regional businesses and communities that rely upon a healthy river ecosystem.

Senator Murray was very engaged in our meeting – sharing her views and priorities and asking good questions. She expressed her strong support for modernizing the treaty and for the Pacific Northwest’s consensus-based “regional recommendation” that was delivered to the State Department in December 2013.

In April this year, the senator led an effort with Senator Wyden and others to send a strongly worded letter signed by all senators and house members from the four Northwest States to the State Department to express that the region would like the Obama Administration to get Treaty negotiations with Canada started soon. In order to do this, the State Department must finalize its negotiating platform (consistent with the regional recommendation) and reach out to Canada. So far, there's no word back from the State Department regarding their plans. We'll keep you posted!

Leaders that attended the meeting with Joseph included LeeAnne Beres (Earth Ministry), Greg Haller (Pacific Rivers Council), Wendy McDermott (American Rivers), Liz Hamilton (Northwest Sportfishing Industry Association), and Trish Rolfe (Center for Environmental Law and Policy).

For more information on the Treaty, visit here.

3. American Rivers lists the Columbia River among our nation’s Most Endangered Rivers in 2015 (TAKE ACTION!)

Save our wild Salmon Coalition member American Rivers recently designated the Columbia River as one of our nation's #2 Most Endangered Rivers in 2015.

Once home to the largest salmon runs in the world, the mighty Columbia River is blocked today by a series of large dams. We now have an opportunity to take a serious step toward reversing this damage if the federal government includes "ecosystem function" (health of the river) as a new third purpose in a renegotiated Columbia River Treaty with Canada.

For the past 50 years, this treaty has prioritized flood control and hydropower generation at the expense of salmon and other environmental values. The failure of the U.S. and Canada to properly modernize this 50 year-old treaty will result in significant adverse changes to flood risk management in 2024. Those operations will harm not only salmon but the overall health of the river as well.

As the United States prepares for negotiations with Canada, now is the time for President Obama to add an ecosystem representative to the U.S. negotiation team to ensure salmon and the ecosystem have a voice at the table. The president can make this happen simply by revising a 50-year-old executive order that accompanied the original treaty.

TAKE ACTION HERE:  Urge President Obama to help ensure the Columbia is managed more like a river again. It’s time to (1) add “ecosystem function” (health of the river) as a new purpose of the Columbia River Treaty with Canada and (2) appoint a new member to the U.S. negotiation team who will advocate for a healthy river.

4. Hundreds gather in Sausalito (CA) to honor Zeke Grader - the legendary fishery advocate

Hundreds of people gathered recently to honor the brilliant, tireless, and incredibly effective Zeke Grader - the widely-respected leader of the west coast's largest alliance of commercial fishing people, the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations. In recent months, Zeke has reduced his work load as he transitions out of his long-time role as executive director and helps orient Tim Sloane, his replacement.

PCFFA has been an integral part of the Save Our wild Salmon Coalition since we formed in 1992. SOS staff have worked most closely with its Northwest Regional Director Glen Spain, who has long served on our board. And we have also had the great pleasure and fortune to work frequently with Zeke as well.

Zeke is a living legend with a well deserved reputation as relentless, tough, knowledgeable, effective, sharp-witted, and warm. For decades, he has arrived at the office early and left late. Zeke has been a visionary leader who encouraged a strong working relationship between fishing people and conservationists at a time when both constituencies were skeptical and resistant. Zeke has been persuasive and persistent, and the ensuing partnership has delivered great benefits to fishermen, conservationists, and - importantly - the fish, ecosystems, and habitats that we all love and depend upon.

Congratulations Zeke on your tremendously impactful and impressive career and accomplishments. We are deeply grateful for your friendship and leadership. Enjoy your much-deserved retirement. Good luck Tim! SOS looks forward to working with you!

Read more on the Daily Kos about this celebration of Zeke and his legacy here.

5. SALMON MEAN BUSINESS: A HUGE "thank you!" to PATAGONIA for its tremendous leadership on behalf of wild salmon and and healthy rivers.

With its production of DAMNATION - the award-winning film by FELT SOUL MEDIA - and its recent outreach campaign in Washington State newspapers urging Senators Murray and Cantwel's support for restoring a free-flowing lower Snake River, PATAGONIA has again shattered the mold and set a new standard for corporate environmental responsibility and leadership. 

The people of PATAGONIA have been wonderful partners and friends to Save Our wild Salmon. It is an honor to work with them. We look forward to continuing our partnership to remove the four costly dams on the lower Snake River, to reconnecting endangered wild salmon and steelhead to thousands of miles of high, cold, pristine, protected habitat in central Idaho, eastern Washington and eastern Oregon, and to achieving our nation's largest, most ambitious and impactful river restoration yet!

1. Spill Baby Spill! -Obama botches another chance to get off the anti-salmon, anti-science path – salmon advocates file in federal court.

2. Why is Bonneville Power crafting salmon science? -Author Steve Hawley illuminates BPA's key role in the Administration's highly questionable process of creating salmon policy.

3. A Temporary Victory -Senator Feinstein's anti-salmon rider rebuffed for now.

4. Hot Pants / Cool Rivers - Mountain Khakis and SOS Photo Contest - Send us a photo of your favorite river for your chance to win some great gear!

1. Spill Baby Spill:Obama botches another chance to get off the anti-salmon, anti-science path – the bad salmon policies for the Columbia Basin just keep on coming…

Take action today.

After more than a year in office, the Obama Administration has failed to reverse some of the most damaging anti-salmon, anti-science, and anti-jobs policies left behind by his predecessor. For example, after a closed-door scientific review last summer, the Administration adopted the deeply-flawed 2008 Bush-era Salmon Plan as its own.

This spring, the Obama Administration has queued up two key decisions that will have a major impact on the prospects for salmon recovery in the Columbia and Snake Rivers. Unfortunately, in both cases, the status quo – not change – appears to be the order of the day.

Decision #1 - Salmon Policy: Why Kill Spill?

This month, the Administration is proposing to eliminate key protections for salmon during this spring’s migration on the Columbia and Snake Rivers. Spilling water - and young salmon with it - over the federal dams is the safest and most effective way to help juvenile fish navigate the lethal hydrosystem and reach the Pacific Ocean. The Administration would rather run more water through the turbines to maximize energy production while depositing as many fish as possible into trucks and barges to deliver them to the ocean. Spill, however, has broad support from across the scientific community, including NOAA’s sister agency, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife (USFWS); an independent fisheries science agency called the Fish Passage Center (FPC); and state fish and wildlife agencies and leading salmon scientists in the Northwest. Cutting spill as NOAA Fisheries has proposed is a high-risk proposition for salmon and salmon-dependent communities alike.

***LATEST SOS UPDATE - Courtroom Filing: Salmon advocates ask judge to reject spill curtailment

Check out the press release here.

***LATEST EDITORIAL - Seattle Times, April 7th, 2010: Water over the dam works for salmon

Decision #2: Salmon Dis-Appointment?

Real change needed for NOAA Fisheries NW Administrator

The Obama Administration is also poised to fill the NOAA Fisheries post for Northwest Regional Administrator, a position that is critical to salmon restoration efforts in the Columbia-Snake Rivers. For a presidential candidate who ran on a platform of change, hope, and bringing people together, some of President Obama’s leading prospects for this post represent little more than business-as-usual.

Whether we are salmon, fishermen, or taxpayers, we desperately need a fresh start. And that will only happen with the appointment of a proven leader who is committed to good science, effective solutions, bringing people together, and advocating for healthy salmon and fishing communities. At least some of the administration's candidates fall far short of these important benchmarks, and, if appointed, are likely to only further lock in the failed status quo.

ACT NOW: Please send a message to Commerce Secretary Gary Locke and NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco. Ask them to commit to policies and people that follow the science, create new jobs, and solve the complex problems facing endangered Northwest salmon and working people.

Take Action.

2. Why is Bonneville Power crafting salmon science?:Author Steve Hawley illuminates BPA's key role in the Obama administration's highly questionable process of creating salmon policy.

Under the Northwest Power and Conservation Act of 1980, the Bonneville Power Administration is required to give fish and wildlife concerns equal weight alongside hydropower generation in its operation of the dams on the Columbia and Snake Rivers.  Unfortunately, this has rarely been the case.  Some of BPA’s past actions include, but are not limited to, improper accounting for its fish and wildlife expenditures, eliminating important in-river salmon protections, attempting to dismantle the Fish Passage Center (the agency that tracks how the fish are doing), and attempts to mislead the Obama administration.Recently, many have begun to question the role that BPA actually plays in crafting or influencing the policies adopted by other agencies, most notably NOAA Fisheries in their Columbia-Snake Basin salmon plan.  In late March, the Oregonian printed a great piece on this topic from Steven Hawley, author of an upcoming book on the Columbia River salmon crisis.

Read Steven Hawley's oped in the Oregonian.

3. A Temporary Victory: Senator Feinstein's anti-salmon rider rebuffed for now.

Several weeks ago, we sent many of you on the West Coast an urgent alert to Senator Feinstein (if you live in California) or your Senators (if you live in other Pacific salmon states) in an effort to stop a legislative rider that Senator Feinstein was threatening to attach to an important jobs bill; the rider would have effectively suspended Endangered Species Act protections for salmon and other fish in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta area in California.

With our call to action, and similar efforts from scores of organizations and businesses across the coast and around the country, we helped generate a noisy uproar from the grassroots, newspaper editorial boards, members of Congress, and others – all urging Senator Feinstein to withdraw her harmful proposal.

In response to the pressure, a report of improved snowpack (thus a better water supply forecast), and some last-minute negotiations with the Administration, Senator Feinstein finally agreed several weeks ago not to move forward with her anti-salmon rider…at least for now (the Senator has indicated that she may seek to attach the language to a future bill).

Congratulations on beating back this destructive proposal and thank you for your help with sending a strong message to Senator Feinstein.

Here are excerpts from a couple of the editorials that ran in the days and weeks before Sen. Feinstein was expected to offer her rider:

Los Angeles Times Editorial Board suggests "Stop interfering with the state's delicate water talks and withdraw this destructive amendment." (February 17)  More from the LA Times here.

Sacramento Bee: "Feinstein, however, also has been known to take reckless stands. She is doing so now, with plans to amend a fast-moving jobs bill to reduce Endangered Species Act protections for fish, including salmon, in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta...Feinstein is grossly oversimplifying the water situation in the Delta and the valley. "

Read more from the Sacramento Bee

4. Hot Pants / Cool Rivers - Mountain Khakis and SOS Photo Contest: Send us a photo of your favorite river for your chance to win some great gear!

Save Our Wild Salmon has teamed up with Mountain Khakis to highlight our shared love of free-flowing rivers.  To show their support for the Snake River and its salmon, and celebrate all the beautiful rivers to be found around the world, Mountain Khakis is giving away some sweet gear and clothing throughout the month!

Between April 5 and April 30, send us a photo of your favorite river. As a little incentive we'll be featuring a photo on the Save Our WIld Salmon and Mountain Khaki blog each week and we'll be giving away some cool Mountain Khakis gear!

On April 30, we'll give away our grand prize - a product from MKs new Snake River Collection!

Entering is easy!To submit, upload your photo(s) to the Save Our Wild Salmon Flickr Pool. Make sure your photo has a title and a description. We look forward to seeing your work and the rivers that you love!

To win you must be a U.S. resident or have a U.S shipping address. Sorry, rest of the world!

1.    Salmon Win in Court - More Dam Spill, More Dam Scrutiny!

2.    Idaho Advocates Call on NOAA: “Stop barging and leave fish in the river!”

3.    SOS leaders attend Tribal Treaty Rights Conference in Lewiston, Idaho

4.    Dam Debate: SOS and IRU go toe-to-toe with former Congressman Doc Hastings at WSU

5.    Make Redfish Lake Redd Again! The Ride for Redd kicks off in Astoria, Oregon

6.    Orca in the News: The Seattle Stranger: Is Anyone Going to Save the Endangered Killer Whales in Puget Sound Before It's Too Late?

Support the work of the Save Our wild Salmon Coalition on May 10 with GIVEBIG 2017!

Mark your calendars!The Seattle Foundation’s big day of giving is fast approaching! You can make an online pledge starting on April 27. We’re talking with a few supporters to arrange for a fundraising match. If you are interested in contributing to our match, please contact us ASAP. Stay tuned for further details and thank you as always for your support!

1.  Salmon Win in Court - More “Dam” Spill, More “Dam” Scrutiny!
On March 27, the federal judge overseeing the court case on Columbia/Snake River salmon and dams issued a two-part decision regarding salmon/fishing plaintiffs’ (joined by the State of Oregon and Nez Perce Tribe's) request for injunctive relief to help endangered salmon. In order to provide additional, much-needed help for migrating salmon, Judge Michael Simon ordered additional spill starting in 2018. While he denied plaintiffs' request to bar specific spending on the lower Snake River dams, he did order the agencies to provide greater transparency on their spending plans in a timely fashion for lower Snake dams so that salmon plaintiffs have an opportunity to challenge that spending if warranted. We’re worried that agencies will pour tens or hundreds of millions of dollars into these dams in the next few years before the NEPA Review is completed, and bias their upcoming decisions on whether to remove these four dams.

Mother Nature Comes to the Rescue: Plaintiffs asked the Court to order expanded levels of spill starting immediately – April 2017, but it decided to provide the Defendant Agencies some time to prepare for this change. So the higher spill levels will start next April. Conservation and fishing groups first won court-ordered, salmon-helping spill - water releases over the dams during the spring-summer migration - in 2005, over the vehement objections of the dam agencies. 

Fortunately for salmon (and orcas, fishing communities and many others), Mother Nature has blessed us with a heavy snowpack this winter. In fact, we have so much water moving in these rivers this spring that the dams can’t handle it all and we are in what’s called “involuntary spill” mode. Mother Nature is pushing water over the dams far in excess of what the Court has ordered. This is very good news for juvenile salmon en route to the ocean. They will arrive more quickly, more safely and with less stress, less predation and less effort than they would have under more “normal” river/migration conditions. And this will translate into larger adult returns in a few years, than we would otherwise expect. Look for more from us on spill conditions this spring and summer!

Follow these links to the judge’s decision, a few choice excerpts from the ruling, and media coverage on the recent Court decision to grant plaintiffs injunctive relief in the form of increased spill and scrutiny on spending on the dams.

Judge Simon's decision to grant injunctive relief to the plaintiffs.

Excerpts from Judge Simon's March 27 ruling on injunctive relief.

Media: Spokesman Review: Spill more water over Snake dams for salmon, judge tells Corps of Engineers

Media: Idaho Press Tribune: Judge: More water must be released from Columbia, Snake dams

2.    Idaho advocates to NOAA: “Stop barging and leave the fish in the river!”
In mid-April, Idaho conservation groups (Idaho Rivers United, Friends of the Clearwater, Idaho Sierra Club, Idaho Conservation League, Idaho Wildlife Federation, Snake River Waterkeeper and a north Idaho chapter of Trout Unlimited) called on the federal government to end barging of Snake River sockeye salmon, a practice that harms Idaho’s most imperiled and endangered salmon.

In a letter to NOAA Fisheries and the Army Corps of Engineers—the two agencies in charge of fish passage at dams on the Snake and Columbia rivers—the groups said "artificial transportation of endangered sockeye interferes with the fish’s homing ability, making them even more vulnerable to hot water and other dam-related challenges they face when they return as adults.”

In 2015, 95+ percent of Idaho’s returning adult sockeye salmon were killed before reaching their spawning gravels high in the Rockies due to two months of steady hot water in the Columbia and Snake rivers. Idaho’s sockeye salmon are the most endangered in the Columbia Basin, and any measures we can take to bolster survival are imperative.

“This request is based on NOAA’s own science,” said IRU Executive Director Kevin Lewis. “That science says sockeye that are hauled around dams in barges have a smaller chance of surviving than those left in the river to migrate on their own.”

Sockeye salmon were listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act 26 years ago, in 1991, and 25 years ago a lone sockeye salmon dubbed Lonesome Larry returned to Redfish Lake in central Idaho, drawing attention to the plight of Idaho’s salmon from around the nation.

“Since the 1990s when sockeye populations consistently hovered in the single digits, fish biologists have prevented extinction of the species through a captive broodstock program run by the Idaho Department of Fish and Game, but this iconic species is still in big trouble,” said Sierra Club Idaho Director Zack Waterman. “Instead of employing actions like barging, which works against recovery, we should be focusing more on measures like spilling water at the dams, a practice proven to help fish.”

The bottom line (and it should come as no surprise!): the more the river system works and acts like a river, the better wild salmon do.

Press release and link to the letter to NOAA-Fisheries: Idaho groups seek end to barging Idaho’s sockeye salmon

Media Coverage: NWPR/OPB: Conservation Groups Ask To Stop Barging Sockeye Around Dams

3. SOS leaders attend Tribal Treaty Rights Conference in Lewiston Idaho

What does it mean to be an "ethical colonist?" This question was one of several provocative conversations at the Nimiipuu Protecting the Environment conference on March 17.  The event explored the role and relevance of treaties in the ongoing environmental battles in which Native Americans and their allies are engaged.

The conference - held ironically in the Red Lion’s “Seaport Club” in Lewiston Idaho - began with a performance by the Lightning Creek Drummers and the presentation of the Eagle staff alongside the flag of the United States. Day One focused first on the history, significance and meaning today of 150+ year old treaties signed by the Native American tribes and the United States goverment. Gary Dorr, a member of the Nimiipuu (Nez Perce) Tribe and a litigant against the Keystone XL pipeline set a tone for the 2-day event as he invoked the Tribes' moral, legal, and political authority in their struggles and guarantees under the supremacy clause of the U.S. Constitution.

The panel discussion that followed considered the position of Native Americans today. Nez Perce Tribal Chair Mary Jane Miles spoke of the slow movement of her people in a fast-paced world, both as a difficulty when defending their rights against new threats, and a trait that sets Native peoples apart. Activist Jacqueline Keeler communicated confidence and optimism as she discussed the growing power and influence of historic treaties in the 21st Century, non-western ways of thinking, and the new inter-tribal solidarity that the world witnessed at Standing Rock in the fight against the Dakota Access Pipeline. A central theme of the discussion was that those of us who came here to occupy land once belonging to the tribes cannot escape our colonial heritage. Despite this history, a new “ethical colonism” is possible, but requires wholly new approaches to working and sharing power with Native people.

The afternoon sessions began with a panel of Earthjustice attorneys who spoke about their work representing tribal interests in court that connect with legal recognition of treaties, and the limited applicability of the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples as the United States has yet to officially recognize this declaration.

Sam Mace led the day's final discussion with Steve Mashuda, Kevin Lewis, John Sirois, Nathan Piengkham and Rebecca Miles. They tackled the state of play in the battle to protect and restore Columbia Basin salmon and to "Free the Snake!" John and Nathan highlighted work using canoe projects as tremendous opportunities to bring tribal people together and build a strong sense of community. Rebecca spoke about the importance of recovering lamprey to the Nimiipuu and other Tribal communities, and Steve recounted key milestones in the legal struggle to restore wild salmon by removing the four lower Snake River dams.

In addition to these and other panels and presentations, the conference brought together more than 150 Tribal and non-Tribal participants to meet, greet and learn from each other.

4. Dam Debate: SOS and IRU go toe-to-toe with Congressman Doc Hastings at WSU.

Washington State University in Pullman, WA hosted a debate on March 28 spotlighting the fate and future of the lower Snake River dams. Many students attended the debate in person and others were able to watch it streaming on Facebook Live.

Save Our wild Salmon’s Inland Northwest Director Sam Mace and Idaho River United’s Executive Director Kevin Lewis went toe-to-toe with former Congressman Doc Hastings and the conservative think-thank Washington Policy Center’s Director Todd Myers. Doc Hastings represented the 4th Congressional District in eastern Washington between 1995 and 2014 and was notorious for his unrelenting attacks on popular laws that safeguard our nation's environmental health - including the Endangered Species Act and Clean Water Act - and agencies like the EPA. Mr. Hastings remains an unwavering defender of all dams, regardless of their costs to taxpayers, communities and economy, or their impacts on ecosystems, fish and wildlife populations.


Video of the debate is not available, but Sam Mace squared off with Todd Myers the following morning on the radio – and you can listen to their lively discussion here: LISTEN: WSU Sound Policy: Select Episode 5: Should the Snake River dams be removed?

5. Make Redfish Lake Redd Again! The Ride for Redd kicks off in Astoria, Oregon

This April, in partnership with SOS-member organization Idaho Rivers United, three women and their horses embarked on "Ride For Redd" - a nine-hundred mile trek from the mouth of the Columbia River in Astoria to the salmon spawning grounds of Redfish Lake in the Rocky Mountains of central Idaho to bring attention to diminishing salmon runs. Their journey will take them up the Columbia, Snake, and Salmon rivers - to finally reach Redfish Lake at more than 6,000 feet in elevation. Red Fish is home for both Kat Cannell and the critically-endangered Snake River sockeye salmon.

Kat is the leader of this journey. In 2016 she rode more than 1,000 miles on horseback, much of it alone. She grew up in Stanley Idaho where the loss of salmon runs has been felt profoundly. Katelyn Spradley is a horse lover at heart, but when she’s out of the saddle can be found rock climbing, kayaking, fly fishing, snowboarding, or guiding all of the above. MJ Wright is a young rider and rancher from northern Nevada who couldn’t pass up the chance to join in the adventure. These women are riding to inspire progressives, conservatives, farmers, tree huggers, anglers, city dwellers, and everyone in our country to fall in love and stand up for Idaho's irreplaceable wild salmon and steelhead populations and the rivers they depend upon.

Ride for Redd gets its name from the spawning nests - redds - built by female salmon in which to lay their eggs. The name also refers to the historic Redfish Lake, named for the color it turned as a result of the crimson-colored sockeye salmon that once returned in late summer/early fall in much higher numbers than today.

To learn more about Ride for Redd and/or support their journey, visit www.rideforred.org. And be sure to check out Kat’s recent feature on the Dirtbag Diaries.

Media: The Daily Astorian: ‘Ride for Redd’: A horse shoutout to salmon

You can also follow Kat and Katekyn on Facebook.

6. Orca in the News: The Stranger - Is Anyone Going to Save the Endangered Killer Whales in Puget Sound Before It's Too Late?

By Christopher Frizzelle, March 22, 2017

In September of 2016, the oldest living orca known to science, J2, was photographed near San Juan Island from a drone. Matriarch of the southern residents, a population of killer whales that lives in Puget Sound and is unique on the planet, J2 got her name because she was the second orca to be positively identified by scientists at the Center for Whale Research on San Juan Island during the first census of southern resident killer whales, conducted in 1976. The Center for Whale Research also assigns nicknames, and because J2 was so old when scientists first identified her, the nickname she got was "Granny."
   
"We do not know her precise age because she was born long before our study began," Ken Balcomb, the marine mammal biologist who founded the Center for Whale Research, explained. "In 1987, we estimated that she was at least 45 years old and was more likely to have been 76 years old." By 2016, she was estimated to be somewhere from 74 to 105 years old.

When she was seen near San Juan Island in September, she did not look good. Researchers from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Southwest Fisheries Science Center and Vancouver Aquarium noted J2's "thin body shape" and "relatively poor" condition. One thing that distinguishes southern residents from other kinds of killer whales is that southern residents eat only salmon. In fact, 80 percent of the southern resident diet is specifically Chinook salmon—and just like the southern residents themselves, Chinook salmon is on the endangered species list. There used to be plentiful Chinook salmon in local waters, especially where the Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean and where the Fraser River meets the Salish Sea, but now wild Chinook is scarce.

Read the full article here.

1. Rivers Reborn - The Elwha and other Northwest salmon rivers are getting ready to once again flow freely.

2. Riders on the Storm - Salmon, Endangered Species Act, and fishing economy dodge a bullet in Congress.

3. Salmon Mean Business- SOS connects with industrious allies at ICAST and Outdoor Retailer

4. Amazing Poster Fundraiser - Good Nature Publishing lives up to their name, donating 50% of sales from 2 beautiful posters to SOS this month.

5. Radio Interview w/ Steve Hawley - Author of Recovering a Lost River on the fate of Columbia Basin Salmon.

1. Rivers Reborn

This summer, the Elwha and a number of other Northwest salmon rivers are getting ready to once again flow freely.

This September, many elected leaders in Washington State will be gathering on the banks of the Elwha River to celebrate the beginning of our nation’s biggest river restoration project to date – the removal of two large dams from the Elwha River. This project has been receiving and will continue to receive lots of attention this summer and fall. September 16-18 many people will be visiting the Elwha River, its two dams, and lots of activities in nearby Port Angeles. Dignitaries will include Governor Gregoire, Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell and Congressman Norm Dicks whose district is the home to Olympic National Park  - the headwaters for the Elwha. Not only will this project prove a huge boost for wild salmon and steelhead in the Northwest, it will also provide a serious shot in the arm for the local economy. The real work to remove the dams and replace their services with alternatives (such as a new water treatment plant in Port Angeles) has created and will continue to create hundreds of jobs in the near-term. Then there are also the long-term benefits and value of a freely-flowing river, commercial and recreational fisheries, guiding, river-rafting, gear sales, lodging, and food.And restored chinook populations will provide more prey for the endangered and hungry Southern Resident orcas that rely on them.

Stay tuned for more on the Elwha and other river restoration projects in the Northwest in the coming months.
For further information, take a look at these recent news stories and photo galleries: Seattle Times: Elwha River reborn as landscape transforms
Gallery: Elwha River reborn
Oregonian: Hydropower dam removal ramps up in the Northwest this fall
New York Times: Removal of Dams Expected to Replenish Salmon Population
NYT Slideshow: Reviving Habitat

2. Riders on the Storm

Salmon, Endangered Species Act, and fishing economy dodge a bullet in Congress – for now.

Thanks especially to Congressman Norm Dicks (D-WA), but also Rep. Michael Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Rep. Mike Thompson (D-CA), and Rep. Colleen Hanabusa (D-HI), salmon, steelhead, and the jobs across the coast that they support dodged a bullet in late July when the so-called “extinction rider” was shot down in the House of Representatives. Thirty-eight Republicans joined with the Democratic minority to strip a legislative “rider” from the 2012 Interior Spending Bill that would have frozen the Endangered Species Act by preventing the government from listing new species, designating new habitat and upgrading the status of any species from threatened to endangered. While this was perhaps the worst, a number of anti-salmon provisions remain in play in the House, including one that would prevent the ESA from protecting endangered salmon from toxic pesticides in our rivers and streams.

And this may be just the beginning. More such initiatives in the House are anticipated. If they become law, these kinds of policies will drive a stake through the heart of the salmon economy that, like many others, is struggling during the down economy.

Learn more at the SOS Blog.
On the Seattle PI: Rare green win: House defeats 'Extinction Rider'

3.Salmon Mean Business

SOS connects with industrious allies at ICAST and Outdoor Retailer

Since our founding, Save Our Wild Salmon has worked closely with businesses, both in the Northwest and across the country. This summer, SOS and our business allies are continuing the call for solutions in the Columbia and Snake Rivers to recover salmon, rebuild jobs, and save taxpayer dollars.  Given the current state of our economy, the voices of these business leaders need to be heard loudly – and often – by our elected officials. This week we’re heading to Salt Lake City for the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market.  At the summer market show we’re working with three great new companies: Alite, Boreas, and Light and Motion.  Find out more over on the blog:  New Friends at Outdoor Retailer. Earlier in July, SOS headed to Las Vegas for ICAST, the world’s largest sportfishing trade show, hosted by our friends at the American Sportfishing Association.  Check it out here: ICAST - Where Salmon Mean Business

Here's Paul Fish, CEO of Mountain Gear out of Spokane, Washington talking about his experience kayaking on the Snake River and why a healthy Snake River is good for people and good for business.

4.Amazing Poster Fundraiser

Good Nature Publishing lives up to their name, donating 50% of sales from 2 beautiful posters to SOS this month.

During month of August, Timothy Colman of Good Nature Publishing is offering to SOS a very generous donation of 50% of sales for two of his beautiful posters: the Pacific Salmon of North America poster and the Watersheds Map of the Pacific Northwest. Please take this great opportunity to help our work while adding some beautiful art to your home.

Pacific Salmon of North America This print features beautiful color illustration by renowned artist Dugald Stermer. This presentation includes all five Pacific Salmon and the Steelhead. Also, published here for the first time, is an Ecotrust map revealing the legacy of loss: all watersheds in which human activities have caused the disappearance of one or more native salmon stocks… Fish included on print:
Chinook Salmon | Coho Salmon | Chum Salmon | Sockeye Salmon | Pink Salmon | Steelhead
Features: 5 Salmon, 1 steelhead | Current map of salmon stock extinctions | Common and Latin names | Illustrated by Dugald Stermer, watercolor andpencil | Printed in Seattle, Washington USA on quality recycled paper

Watersheds Map of the Pacific Northwest Features: Major cities, sans roads | Primary and secondary rivers named | Full-color topographic map | Shows the original distribution of the coastal temperate rainforest (Copper River to Eel River) | Printed in Seattle, Washington USA on quality recycled paper Special thanks to Joe Sarmiento of SoCal Salty for making this connection happen!  Joe runs a great blog on southern California saltwater fishing – http://socalsalty.wordpress.com/ – but originally hails from the Puget Sound.  The idea for the fundraiser was spawned on Joe’s blog.

5. Radio Interview with Steve Hawley

The author of Recovering a Lost River on the fate of Columbia Basin Salmon

Lots of people are anxiously awaiting the delivery of U.S. District Court Judge James Redden’s verdict on the adequacy of the Obama Administration’s 2010 Plan for Columbia and Snake River Salmon and Steelhead. In early July, Steven J. Hawley (author of the Recovering a lost River: removing dams, rewilding salmon, and revitalizing communities) spent an hour talking with KBOO, Portland’s public radio station. THE FATE OF COLUMBIA RIVER SALMON
Continuing Our Conversation with Environmental Writer Steven Hawley
http://kboo.fm/node/29546 Introduction: Any day now U.S. District Judge James Redden will come down with a decision that will determine the fate of salmon on the Columbia River. He is considering the merits of a plan submitted last year by the Obama administration to address the significant harm done to salmon by the gauntlet of federal dams along the river system, that juvenile salmon must navigate on their way out to the ocean and surmount again three to five years later when they return as adults to spawn. This plan is almost indistinguishable from previous plans that were rejected by the courts. The plan currently under scrutiny also rolls back important protections now in place and will cost almost $1 billion per year over the next 10 years. On this episode of Locus Focus, environmental writer Steven Hawley returns to examine the possible scenarios for the future of Columbia River salmon, and what options are being considered while all parties await Judge Redden's impending decision. Steven Hawley is the author of Recovering a Lost River, which describes the difficult passage salmon have navigating the federal agencies charged with their protection, a journey as challenging as surviving the dams along the Columbia River.

We hope you enjoy the latest edition of Wild Salmon & Steelhead News! In this issue: 1. HR 6247 – The Worst Dam Bill Ever.

2. The Most Interesting Fish in the World.

3. Elwha River success story continues to build.

4. Salmon Mean Business - Outdoor Retailer. On the right is a photo from Keith Nevison, Student Garden Liaison at the Sustainability Leadership Center of Portland State and a huge salmon advocate. Just check out his awesome tattoo! The picture was taken at the visitor’s center in Stanley, Idaho, just a few miles from Redfish Lake. Go Keith!

1. HR 6247 – The Worst Dam Bill Ever

On August 1st, Congressman Doc Hastings (R-WA), Chairman of the House Committee on Natural Resources, introduced HR 6247 - a reckless bill threatening salmon, rivers, family-wage jobs, and communities across the country.

Excited about the progress being made on the Elwha, Penobscot, Sandy, Kennebec, and White Salmon Rivers? If HR 6247 becomes law, we can say goodbye to these types of historic, job-creating, river and salmon restoration success stories.

Take Action: Send a message to Congressman Hastings opposing HR 6247.

A classic example of congressional overreach and top-down lawmaking, HR 6247 would prevent people from working together and finding solutions to tough problems through collaboration at the local level. This legislation would also further harm already-endangered salmon and steelhead, stifle job creation, and restrict innovation in the clean energy sector, all the while locking in existing problems and creating new ones for rivers, salmon, jobs, and our economy.

2. The Most Interesting Fish in the World

Back in 1992, with help from the daughter of a hatchery technician at the time, Idaho’s Governor Cecil Andrus gave the name “Lonesome Larry” to the only surviving Snake River sockeye that successfully returned to Redfish Lake that year. Larry made national news and instantly became the poster-fish for refortified efforts to protect and restore critically endangered salmon in the Snake and Columbia Rivers. This year marks the 20th Anniversary of Larry’s solo journey home and the launch of more serious efforts to bring Northwest salmon back from the brink of extinction. Unfortunately, while the federal agencies have been happy to spend lots of taxpayer dollars ($10 billion +) in the last 20 years on failing policies and projects, they haven’t been as willing to commit to the projects that really count – like “spill” (which they have ‘agreed’ to over the last 7 years due to a federal court order) or seeking truly effective alternatives, such as removal of the four lower Snake River dams. All remaining runs of salmon and steeelhead in the Snake River are listed under the Endangered Species Act.  The Northwest’s most iconic fish remains in peril. Our campaign - with your help - has helped salmon tremendously to secure spill during the migration season. And we will accomplish even more in the future.

Lonesome Larry Links a. Follow the adventures of Lonesome Larry - the “most interesting fish in the world” via Larry’s website and blog, Facebook, or Twitter. b. Great piece from National Geographic on Larry: "An Unsung Hero."

 c. Three amusing radio ads for Larrythat ran this summer throughout Idaho. 

d. Sawtooth Salmon Festival: If you are in Idaho this week…Aug. 25 is the date of the Sawtooth Salmon Festival near the town of Stanley in the heart of the Rocky Mountains. Lonesome Larry will be an honored guest this year. More info via Idaho Rivers United. 

e.  Outdoor Idaho – “Idaho’s Salmon”- If you missed it, be sure to check out this 30-minute episode from Idaho Public Broadcasting that premiered in July. It does a great job telling the Snake River salmon story – from their decline to what’s going to be needed to bring them back to healthy, fishable levels. Give it a few minutes to load, before watching.

3. Elwha River success story continues to build.

While Congressman Doc Hastings (R-WA) is introducing legislation that will, if passed into law, prevent locally-driven community-based collaborations to fix rivers, create jobs, and restore salmon, we are, ironically, already enjoying the fruits of one such labor on the Elwha River on the Olympic Peninsula in western Washington State. Photo at right: what's left of the 210 foot Glines Canyon Dam in Elwha National Park. Photo by Nick Wolcott. Courtesy of felt soul media, makers of the upcoming film DamNation. Even before the two Elwha dams are fully removed – the lower one is gone, the upper one will be gone by the middle of next year – habitat restoration and beach recovery is underway and wild steelhead are already returning. Local tribal and non-tribal communities are celebrating. People are working. Dam-removal tourists are visiting – and spending money locally - to see the progress and marvel at the swift changes. Here are a couple of recent news stories - about the re-emergence after 100 years of the Klallam Tribal people’s creation site, and the dramatic changes on the estuary and beach. Legendary 'creation site' discovered by Lower Elwha Klallam tribe Dam gone, nature rebuilds Elwha River beach NOTABLY - Mr. Hastings’ law - HR 6247 - would make these kinds of amazing success stories a thing of the past. Don’t forget to forward the action link to your friends and family. https://secure3.convio.net/sows/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&;page=UserAction&id=599

4. Salmon Mean Business – Outdoor Retailer edition

 This month Save Our Wild Salmon took part in two great events in the world of outdoor business and conservation:

Hot town, summer in Salt Lake City

This summer’s Outdoor Retailer show was hot - in all ways possible. It was great to check in with all of the companies and athletes that help raise awareness and funding for Save Our Wild Salmon and other conservation efforts either directly or through the great work of the Conservation Alliance.
These industry leaders help carry a simple but essential message to policy-makers: healthy salmon and healthy rivers mean business and jobs for communities across the country. Check out some photos from the show.

The Conservation Alliance’s Backyard Collective comes to Portland’s Forest Park.

On August 15th, employees from Columbia, KEEN, REI, North Face, Icebreaker, Merrell, and others took part in an annual volunteer event called “Backyard Collective” hosted by the Conservation Alliance. Well over 300 participants were on hand – a new record! Volunteers spent half the day working on trail maintenance and invasive species eradication on behalf of the Forest Park Conservancy. Learn more about the Conservation Alliance and their work with outdoor businesses that give back to the outdoors: Check out their website or watch the video overview of their work.

August is proving another busy month at Save Our wild Salmon – lots of work afoot and we’re also trying to get outside every once in a while to take advantage of the summer while it is still here! So we’re posting a slightly abbreviated (but still engaging!) WSSN this month. Enjoy!

In this issue:

1.   FINALLY! Army Corps of Engineers releases its Lower Snake Waterway Sediment Plan.

2.   Modernizing the Columbia River Treaty: Conservation and Faith leaders prepare trip to Washington DC – YOU can help!

3.   Salmon-y news stories that grabbed our attention this month.

4. Salmon mean business! Emerald Water Anglers cuts the ribbon on its new Seattle store!

1.   FINALLY! Army Corps of Engineers releases its Lower Snake Waterway Sediment Plan.

It’s only six years late and cost more than $16 million to complete, but the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers finally released its 2014 Lower Snake River Sediment Management Plan (LSRSMP).

What exactly is it, you ask?

As part of a legal settlement with salmon and fishing advocates way back in 2005, the Army Corps agreed to develop a long-term plan demonstrating how they planned to manage the sediment flowing into the reservoir behind Lower Granite dam – the uppermost dam on the lower Snake River. The heavy loads of sediment deposited in the reservoir each year must be dredged regularly in order to maintain the navigation waterway if shipping is to continue on this 140-mile stretch of river.

Dredging, however, is harmful to water quality and threatened and endangered wild salmon and steelhead and their habitats. And it costs millions of taxpayer dollars to maintain at a time of shrinking federal resources, infrastructure maintenance project backlogs, steeply dropping demand for lower Snake River shipping, and an expanding rail network in nearby areas.

The big question: Can we afford to continue to maintain the lower Snake River navigation system today given its high costs and declining benefits - especially given the very real and pressing maintenance needs on the lower Columbia River - a waterway that sees at least 20X more traffic than the lower Snake?

SOS is working in alliance with the Nez Perce Tribe and a number of conservation organizations and local experts. Our analyses indicate that lower Snake River navigation costs considerably more than the meager benefits it provides. At the same time local farmers are investing their own dollars on upgrading the rail system that serves these very same communities.

We just received the Corps Sediment Plan late last week, and have only begun to pour through it. If you want to read it yourself, go here. We’ll of course give it a thorough review and give you a full report soon. And we’ll also send out an alert to provide you an opportunity to ensure that your voice is heard during the 30-day public comment period.

Finally, here's a news story on the Corps' plan:

Lewiston Morning Tribune: Dredging on docket for Snake River

 2.   Modernizing the Columbia River Treaty: Conservation and Faith leaders prepare trip to Washington DC – YOU can help today!

Conservation and faith leaders from the Pacific Northwest are gearing up for a trip to our nation’s capital next month – to meet with Administration officials and Congressional leaders in support of modernizing the U.S.-Canada Columbia River Treaty.

SOS is helping organize this trip, working with Pacific Rivers Council, Waterwatch of Oregon, and Earth Ministry. Executive Director Joseph Bogaard will be going to represent SOS' many fishing, conservation and clean energy member organizations.

You can help!

Trips to Washington D.C. to meet with our elected leaders and their staff are essential to ensuring that our voice is heard, but they also cost money. We need your help to get us there. Right now, we are working to raise $6,000 to help cover our travel, food, and lodging costs, and the staff planning and follow up to assure a successful, impactful trip.

Go here for more information on the Treaty and our upcoming D.C. trip.

Go here to make a donation today!

We’re nearly 2/3 of the way there! Our fundraising deadine is August 29.
Help us reach our goal! And thank you in advance for your support!

 3.   Salmon-y news stories that grabbed our attention this month.

A.  KPLU: New Life After Dam Removal: Surf Smelt Spawning In Mouth Of Elwha
Tiny forage fish don’t have the iconic status of Northwest species such as salmon or orcas, but the marine creatures at the bottom of the food chain play a critical role. So scientists are excited to see signs they’re spawning in new habitat created by the Elwha dam removals.
By Bellamy Pailthorpe
August 6, 2014

B. Seattle Times: Back to nature: Last chunk of Elwha dams out in September
Fish are storming back to the Elwha, there’s a sandy beach at the mouth of the river again, and native plants are growing where there used to be lakes.
By Lynda V. Mapes
August 17, 2014

C.  Christian Science Monitor: Setting rivers free: As dams are torn down, nature is quickly recovering
With the removal of many dams, conservationists are seeing the return of the natural bounty that fed Native Americans and astonished European settlers.
By Doug Struck, Contributor
August 3, 2014

D. Seattle Times: On Columbia, ‘just add water’ seems to be working
Abundant food in the ocean and new cross-border cooperation to benefit fish have led to a blockbuster wild sockeye run on the Columbia River.
By Lynda V. Mapes
August , 2014

E.  Associated Press: Army Corps of Engineers will monitor, disclose dam pollution
For the first time in its history, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will have to disclose the amount of pollutants its dams are sending into waterways in a groundbreaking legal settlement that could have broad implications for the Corps' hundreds of dams nationwide.  (With a huge thanks to SOS member group Columbia Riverkeeperfor its excellent legal work on this case!)
August 4, 2013

F.  E&E Publishing: EPA finalizes agreement setting 'buffer zones' around salmon streams
U.S. EPA finalized a settlement yesterday that prohibits the use of five pesticides in "buffer zones" around endangered salmon habitat in a big win for conservation groups and fishing advocates that had sued the agency.
By Emily Yehle
August 14, 2014

 4. Salmon mean business! Emerald Water Anglers cuts the ribbon on its new Seattle store!

Emerald Water Anglers has long had a reputation as an excellent guiding service. It's also been a great champion for wild salmon and steelhead and healthy freely-flowing rivers - and a fantastic supporter of Save Our wild Salmon Coalition through the years!

Now, EWA owner Dave McCoy has opened a new beautiful store in West Seattle at 42nd Ave SW and SW Oregon St. When you’re next in the greater Seattle area – be sure to stop by and say hello. All are welcome for the Open House next month - September 6 and 7.

Visit the EWA website for further information.

See you there! -jb

IN THIS ISSUE

1. Columbia River Treaty: Public support grows for a modernized Treaty that includes 'ecosystem function'.  Thank you!

2. "Oops, We Did It Again:" Federal agencies release a Draft Salmon Plan as bad as the last one.

3. Lower Snake Waterway: Retired Army Corps employees send letter to leadership in D.C. calling for new economic analysis. And... 'Big Oil's' megaloads are stopped (for the moment) on Highway 12!

4.  SALMON MEAN BUSINESS!  A big 'thank you' to Emerald Water Anglers, Fishhawk Fisheries & Sante' Restaurant. 

 Support SOS. Give to our end-of-the-year fund drive. All donations are 100% tax-deductible.

1. Columbia River Treaty: Public support grows for a modernized Treaty that includes 'ecosystem function'.  Thank you!

Last month salmon and fishing advocates delivered a second wave of official public comments to the U.S. Entity - led by Bonneville Power Administration and the Army Corps of Engineers. The Entity is tasked with delivering to the State Department a recommendation from Northwest states about if and how to renegotiate the Columbia River Treaty (CRT) with Canada. Save Our wild Salmon’s recent comment tally for the ‘Regional Recommendation’ reflects an even higher action alert response rate than the earlier ‘Working Draft’ action alert that circulated during the summer. Thanks very much to everyone who participated! Your active involvement helps send a clear message to decision-makers that a modernized CRT is important – and that getting negotiations started early in 2015 is a priority.
 
To be sure, some energy utilities and others industrial river users that rely on the Columbia dams for power are concerned about a “modernized” Treaty – and oppose adding 'ecosystem function' as a third Treaty purpose. The intensifying impacts of climate change and the need for justice for Native American tribes in the Columbia Basin (who were never consulted or considered when the first Treaty was approved in 1964) demands that ecosystem function - a healthy river - join power and flood control in a new 21st century Treaty.
 
What’s ahead: The U.S. Entity is expected to finalize its recommendation and deliver it to the State Department in December. Then its up to the State Department and the Obama Administration to decide how to proceed from there. Salmon and fishing advocates hope the Administration initiates negotiations with Canada early in 2014, and finalizes a new Treaty before the end of 2015.
 
In the meantime, steady work by salmon and fishing advocates will continue – reaching out to people, stakeholders and elected leaders in the Northwest and Washington D.C. to support a modernized 21st Century Treaty that protects and restores healthy Columbia Basin waters and watersheds on which all present uses of the Columbia and its tributaries depend, and that helps the people, businesses and communities of both nations join closely together to weather the large and harmful changes that climate change is now causing in our common waters.

Read Joseph's guest opinion in the Seattle Times - Consider 'ecosystem' in U.S.-Canada negotiations for the Columbia River Treaty (Nov. 14, 2013)

2.  “Oops, We Did It Again…” NOAA takes a page from Britney Spears and releases the same failed draft salmon plan; salmon and fishing advocates call for a new approach.

On Sept. 9, NOAA Fisheries released its Draft Salmon Plan for the Columbia and Snake Rivers – also known as a biological opinion. Ordered by a federal judge after he rejected the previous plan in 2011 (the third in a row to be struck down in court since 2000), this disappointing draft once again misses an opportunity to follow the best science and meet the near-term needs of salmon and steelhead. It fails to look at any new measures, even those that the court explicitly directed the agencies to consider – such as securing greater river flows, lowering reservoirs to speed the migration of young fish, and removing the four dams on the lower Snake River. The draft plan even allows for the roll back of existing protections like spill. And it fails to address the impacts of climate change.

NOAA and its action agencies – the Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Reclamation, and Bonneville Power Administration – are now working on a final version of the Federal Salmon Plan, due on January 24, 2014.

As part of this process, NOAA sought input on their draft plan; huge thanks to all of you who submitted comments, urging the federal government to strengthen the draft and issue a final plan that does more to help salmon and move them away from the threat of extinction. Save Our Wild Salmon and 13 of our partner organizations also submitted comments to NOAA and we wanted to take this opportunity to share some highlights with you. You can read our comments in their entirety here.

We hope that NOAA and its federal partners, including BPA, will carefully consider the comments submitted by salmon and fishing advocates, and by the other two winning co-plaintiffs in the litigation over this very plan – the State of Oregon and the Nez Perce Tribe. Collectively, these comments provide a clear view of what a legal, science-based federal salmon plan could and should look like. If NOAA chooses to strengthen and improve its draft plan – by doing what the court directed them to more than two years ago – we could actually see some progress in the Columbia Basin, for salmon, communities, ratepayers, taxpayers, and businesses. But if NOAA opts to stick with a failed, and illegal, status quo, they will certainly risk another round of litigation. We’re continuing our work to encourage a lawful, science-based plan, but should the latter scenario prevail, we’re ready to keep fighting for what salmon need.

Read this Nov. 20th guest opinion in the Oregonian - Federal government doing too little to help Columbia Basin salmon - by Northwest Sportfishing Industry Association's executive director Liz Hamilton on the Draft Plan's many shortcomings.

3.  Lower Snake River Waterway: Retired Army Corps employees send letter to agency leadership in D.C. calling for a new economic analysis while the economic outlook for lower Snake waterway continues to darken. AND - Big Oil's megaloads are stopped (for the moment) on Idaho's Highway 12!

The Port of Lewiston's economic woes continue as calls for a new economic analysis on the lower Snake River waterway grow.

The Lewiston Tribune recently ran several stories noting both the decline in revenues and shippers shifting investments from barging to rail.   With shippers growing nervous about the long-term reliability of the lower Snake waterway, some farmers are beginning their own studies looking at transportation alternatives. Other shippers are putting their own dollars into infrastructure upgrades at the lower Snake River ports—in order to support rail, not the waterway.  MacGregor Co. recently invested $10 million into rail improvements for a fertilizer distribution center at Port of Wilma on the lower Snake River where 90 percent of the products will arrive by train, not barge.

In the midst of this economic transition away from barging, two retired Corps employees, including Jim Waddell who worked on the Army Corps’ 1999 economic analysis of dam removal and local citizen economist Linwood Laughy, sent a letter to the Corps of Engineers calling for a new cost/benefit analysis on the waterway to answer the many questions being asked about whether maintaining four federal dams on the lower Snake River for a declining barge system is worth the cost to taxpayers and local communities. Read their letter here.

To offset losses resulting from declining local demand, the Ports working to attract companies seeking to ship “megaloads” - enormous 25 x 300 foot loads of industrial equipment - up the river, through the Wild & Scenic Lochsa River corridor and Nez Perce Tribal homelands and on to the tar sands in Alberta, Canada. Local residents, conservation groups and the Nez Perce successfully halted these loads traveling over tribal lands and on Idaho's scenic Highway 12. A Boise (ID) judge ruled in favor of SOS member organization Idaho Rivers United and the Nez Perce Tribe and blocked further loads until necessary tribal consultation and environmental reviews occur.  Read more here.

Frustrated by the delays, mega-load shipper Omega Morgan and client GE withdrew their appeal and have sought routes through Oregon where they are again drawing opposition from local communities, climate change activists, and Native American Tribes. While the public debate over the future of the lower Snake River dams continues, significant shifts are quietly occurring, making the case that these dams are increasingly obsolete and not longer serve in the best interests of the region's people or its salmon.

4. SALMON MEAN BUSINESS!  Big Thanks to Emerald Green Anglers, Fishhawk Fisheries and Sante Restaurant & Charcuterie.

Emerald Water Anglers’ owner Dave McCoy has been operating as a full service fly fishing outfitter in Seattle since 1999, and he’s now operating in Glenwood Springs Colorado as well. In addition to being highly regarded as an outfitter with an excellent team of guides and instructors, Dave and his team have been strong, active advocates for the cold, clean, free-flowing waters and healthy watersheds that wild salmon and steelhead depend upon. He’s been very supportive of not only Northwest fisheries conservation efforts, but programs across North America.

Fishhawk Fisheries: With processing facilities in Astoria, OR and Kenai, AK, Fishhawk Fisheries is recognized as a sustainable source of wild-caught salmon, shrimp and other fish.  The company is owned by 3rd-generation Astorian Steve Fick, a strong, long-time voice for Columbia-Snake wild salmon recovery. On more than one occasion Fick has taken time to travel to eastern WA to meet with farmers and shippers to explore common ground around issues of economic prosperity and Snake River dam removal.  Like so many other individuals who make their living in commercial fishing, Fick knows that if wild salmon are lost, so is his industry - an economic backbone for his homeown.  For more info:  (503) 325-5252.

Sante Restaurant & Charcuterie: Sante's reputation for creative and delicious food extends far beyond Spokane, WA.  Recently, owners Jeremy and Kate Hansen were invited to host dinner at NYC's famed James Beard House and writer David Sedaris considers their gnocchi the best he's every tasted.  Sante's commitment to locally sourced and sustainable ingredients extends beyond the plate to tireless community involvement.  Jeremy and Kate sign letters, contact elected leaders, and host benefits for many issues related to economic and ecologic sustainability, including Columbia-Snake wild salmon.  

1. The floor, not the ceiling - Salmon returns in the Columbia and Snake Rivers

2. Nobody's backyard -Pat Ford on Exxon's tar sands plans

3. Tripods in the Mud - part 1 - Capturing one-of-a-kind habitat

4. Science guided by politics? - L.A. Times, July 10th

5. Dagger Falls Video -In case you missed the video of Snake Basin salmon in all their glory.

1. The floor, not the ceiling

Salmon returns in the Columbia and Snake Rivers.

This summer, the Columbia-Snake River Basin is witnessing a very positive return of salmon and steelhead. Scientists credit favorable ocean conditions along with the court-ordered spill of water over some of the basin's dams for swelling the ranks of fish.

The increases in spill (the good kind) — won in court by Save Our Wild Salmon Coalition members — helps many more baby salmon survive their epic migrations from mountain streams to the sea where they grow to adulthood. Scientists also credit this spill with significantly contributing to a chinook salmon return currently 140 percent above the 10-year average.

For those working to restore vibrant runs of salmon to the Columbia-Snake, this year's salmon returns offer a glimpse of what could be achieved if we follow science to protect what was once the world's most productive salmon watershed. For the communities that rely on these fish, and for the durability of the Endangered Species Act, these returns should represent the floor, not the ceiling, as we assess the recovery of Columbia-Snake salmon and the economic, cultural, and ecosystem needs of the region.

Read more about salmon returns in the Columbia and Snake RIvers.

2. Nobody's Backyard: Pat Ford on the Tar Sands

Exxon's disastrous plans for the Pacific Northwest

This fall Exxon intends to start using the Columbia and Snake Rivers as a transportation corridor to support development of the Canadian oil sands in northern Alberta.  The basics of oil sands development, Exxon’s plan, and the threats of both to salmon are outlined here.  This urgent matter helps illuminate the changed context of conservation and citizenship in a time of climate disruption. Read more from Pat Ford at the SOS blog.

If you haven't already, please take action on this important issue and forward to your friends and family.

Latest News:

Great column from Pete Zimowsky of the Idaho Statesman

"Put the brakes on massive trucks on the U.S. 12 corridor in N. Idaho" - July 25th, 2010:

If you've ever driven U.S. 12 and floated, fished or camped along the Wild and Scenic Lochsa and Clearwater rivers, it's one of those places that is near and dear to your heart. That's why, if you're like me, you can't fathom why the state of Idaho would even think about allowing big oil companies to transport megaloads of equipment, weighing up to 580,000 pounds, on the northern Idaho highway. The road follows precious steelhead, salmon and cutthroat trout rivers. It winds past hidden hot springs and old-growth cedar groves and is the jumping-off point for hiking, backpacking and hunting in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness.Read more of "Put the brakes on massive trucks on the U.S. 12 corridor in north Idaho."

Links:Fighting Goliath Website: http://fightinggoliath.org/Fighting Goliath Blog: http://sayingnotogoliath.blogspot.com/

3.Tripods in the Mud - part 1

Capturing the Snake River Basin's one-of-a-kind habitatThis summer, Save Our Wild Salmon and the International League of Conservation Photographers (iLCP) have joined forces to visually tell the story of the Snake River's endangered one of a kind salmon and the place they call home.  iLCP photographer Neil Osborne partnered with SOS through Tripods in the Mud (TIM), an initiative of the iLCP that helps partner professional photographers like Neil with conservation organizations for the creation of visual materials on a specific region or issue.

Part 1: Idaho’s Platter of Salmon HabitatBy Neil Ever OsborneRedfish Lake was so named because of the bright red color of these endangered salmon.  Standing at its shores, it was easy to imagine the lake densely packed with sockeye, their shimmering scales reflecting in the water’s surface like rose petals.  We were there too late in time, and too early in the season, for any slight evidence of this vision, but the migration journey of Snake River salmon is truly a remarkable, though ominous tale.

Navigating close to 900 miles (~1450 kilometers) of waterways inland from the Pacific rim to elevations above 6,000 feet (~1820 meters), the Snake River salmon travel farther and climb higher than any other salmon on earth. Now, dams prevent this migratory feat from happening. This one-of-a-kind story needed to be told with images.

Read more of "Idaho's Platter of Salmon Habitat".

4.Science guided by politics?

"Scientists expected Obama administration to be friendlier" - L.A. Times, July 10

Recently the L.A. Times ran an important story on the Obama administration's unfortunate continuation of science guided by politics. The story, by Tom Hamburger and Kim Geiger of the L.A. Times' Washington Bureau, outlines several examples of corrupted science across the country, including a key mention of the Columbia-Snake basin:

"In the Pacific Northwest, Ruch said, his organization [Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility] has heard in the last 16 months from multiple federal fisheries biologists who report that they are under pressure to downplay the impact of dams on wild salmon."

Read the full story at the LA Times.

5. Dagger Falls video

In case you missed Snake Basin salmon in all their gloryCheck out the video below.  Also you can forward this video as an alert to your online community.

IN THIS ISSUE:

1. More writing on the wall: Lower Snake River commercial navigation continues to unravel

2. Treaty News: Cross-Border Coalition Urges Collaboration In Modernizing the Columbia River Treaty

3. Hey Agencies! What’s your hot water plan for 2016?

4. Southern Resident Orca in the News

5. Celebrate a Restored Elwha River this spring - in Seattle, Spokane, Pullman, Walla Walla, Lewiston/Clarkston

6. ‘Tis the season for whale-watching in the Salish Sea. Support these businesses!

1. More writing on the wall: Lower Snake River commercial navigation continues to unravel

Unfortunately, we have some bad news to report: in February, a federal court rejected salmon/fishing advocates’ and Nez Perce Tribe's challenge to the Army Corps’ 2014 Dredging Plan. We filed the lawsuit in late 2014. We were then – and still are – very concerned about:

-- the plan’s harmful impacts on imperiled fish.

-- the Corps’ usual lack of transparency.

-- the fact that the Corps selected dredging the lower Snake River as its preferred solution to the sediment problems piling up behind Lower Granite Dam. In doing so, they summarily dismissed any meaningful analyses or consideration of other potential solutions including lower Snake River dam removal.

-- how the Corps’ plan withheld any meaningful economic analysis on the barging/dredging program’s relative costs and benefits today and over time. Rather than showing the public actual numbers, they simply said - as they so often have before - “just trust us”.

This loss in court, though unfortunate, does nothing to change the fact that the waterway’s days are numbered – as its problems continue to accumulate, and its expenses grow while its benefits decline. This approach hurts everybody: the Corps' credibility and budget, local communities, wild salmon, and American taxpayers. The evidence of decline and the need for a new approach isn't going away:

-- Here is a recent story in the Tri-Cities Herald - Port of Pasco may sell crane, end container business -  about the Port of Pasco’s (on the lower Columbia River) plan to sell its huge orange crane that was purchased several years ago to load containers onto barges. But the crane hasn’t been used in five years – as barge traffic keeps dropping and no one predicts a rebound. So the Port is looking to unload this deadweight and invest in infrastructure that it will actually use.

-- Going, going…Here’s a recent graph from the Port of Lewiston’s own website showing its container traffic activity on the lower Snake River between 1991 and 2015. Enough said.

-- Finally, for lots more information, take a look at SOS’ 2015 Waterway Transportation Report to learn more about the lower Snake River waterway’s rising costs, declining benefits, and status and trends.

2. Columbia River Treaty News: Cross-Border Coalition Urges Collaboration In Modernizing the Treaty

Save Our wild Salmon helped lead efforts to organize a large, diverse group of organizations and associations from the U.S. and Canada to urge both nations to modernize the 52-year old U.S.-Canada Columbia River Treaty in order to protect the river's environmental values.

On March 10, a letter signed by 51 conservation, fishing and faith groups was sent to top policymakers in the United States and Canada urging them to (1) add a new third purpose to assure the river’s health in the 21^st century and to (2) jointly develop and share critical information as an essential step to effectively working together to protect and restore the Columbia River, its watershed and fish and wildlife populations as they negotiate the treaty.

“We support modernizing the 1964 U.S.-Canada Columbia River Treaty, to improve the health of basin ecosystems and ensure that the river and its people are more resilient to the increasing effects of climate change,” the letter states.

Signers include leaders from conservation, commercial and recreational fishing, and faith communities. The letter is addressed to United States Secretary of State John Kerry, Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Stephane Dion, and British Columbia’s Premier Christy Clark.

“The organizations signing this letter represent millions of people who understand that the health of the Columbia River and the interests of communities in both nations will be best served by Treaty negotiations based on collaboration rather than competition,” said Joseph Bogaard, executive director of the Save Our wild Salmon Coalition. “Though the Columbia River might span two countries, it is one river within a single watershed. Our two nations need to work together to manage and protect it as a single system.”

A copy of the letter can be downloaded here.

Read SOS' press release here and a Columbia Basin Bulletin article here.

3. Federal Agencies! What's your hot water plan for 2016?

We haven’t yet seen a "hot water plan" from the federal agencies charged with protecting the Columbia Basin’s wild salmon and steelhead, but we're told it is in the works. That said - salmon and fishing advocates are already highly skeptical - and with good reason. The federal agencies charged with protecting salmon from the lethal impacts of their dams and reservoirs have an extraordinarily poor track record on taking actions that combat rising water temperatures in the Columbia and Snake River watersheds.

NOAA’s scientists are well-respected for their climate change research in the Northwest and beyond. It’s policy staff, however, seem far less committed to turning their scientists’ findings into meaningful actions in lawful plans that will help fish survive in an era of climate change. One of several claims included in the salmon advocates’ pending lawsuit challenging the 2014 Federal Columbia Basin Salmon Plan is its abject failure to follow the best science and to include meaningful actions to address, mitigate or otherwise assist already endangered wild salmon and steelhead survive the intensifying impacts of a changing climate.

When it comes to climate,BPA and the Army Corps of Engineers are also birds of a feather: lots of talk, little action.

In 2004, for example, in its Columbia Basin Water Quality Plan, the Army Corps promised it would perform additional monitoring of water temperatures in the Snake River and model investigations to evaluate alternative operations of central Idaho’s Dworshak Dam/Reservoir, improve water temperature monitoring of the Columbia River System, investigate cool water refugia in the mainstem Columbia and Snake Rivers. To merely model, evaluate, monitor, investigate without meaningful actions that are actually implemented does nothing to protect or restore endangered wild salmon and steelhead.

Now - twelve years later - NOAA and the Corps are proposing the exact same types of non-actions in their upcoming report to the Northwest Power and Conservation Council. In a March 7 AP article, RitchieGraves of NOAA said early suggestions for the plan include putting in new temperature sensors that update faster and would give managers more advance warning about warm water conditions. Last summer, cold water releases from Dworshak Dam were used to cool the Snake River, and Graves said examining how that could be done more effectively will be considered.

Sensors. Examine. Consider. 2004 or 2016 - it all sounds like pretty weak tea.

Graves further adds that, in his view, options are limited when an extended heat wave coincides with low flows in rivers as in 2015, pushing water temperatures above 70 degrees.

Without a doubt in the years ahead, we’ll face more summers like 2015 when 90+ percent of the basin’s 510,000 sockeye died in mainstem reservoirs and rivers that were too hot. We must develop an aggressive, lawful, science-based action plan or we’ll lose these iconic and irreplaceable fish forever.

 4.Endangered Southern Resident Orca in the News

First, some sad news: J-55, a calf born recently to the J Pod several months ago, is missing and presumed dead. J-55 was the ninth calf born since December 2014 to the endangered Southern Resident Killer Whale population. SRKWs frequent the marine waters of the Pacific Northwest and rely heavily on Chinook salmon for survival. This recent baby boom is almost without precedent – and needless to say - welcome news. Just 85 individual whales – now 84 – remain in the wild. Lack of adequate prey is considered the top cause of decline. More on the calf here at the Seattle Times.

As you read this newsletter, many SRKWs are very likely hunting for spring Chinook near the mouth of the Columbia River and along the Washington State coastline. Satellite-tagging in recent years confirms that the Southerrn Resident orcas frequent these waters, particularly in late winter and early spring, to feast on large fatty spring Chinook that are gathering there before they head upriver to spawn. Over the last several years, NOAA scientists have collected more than 100 orca fecal samples (poop) here and are only now - after Orca Salmon Alliance leaders pressed the agency - finally analyzing them. We hope to learn the initial results of the agency’s analyses as early as this spring – it can help us focus the region’s salmon recovery priorities to ensure the greatest benefit for both wild salmon and the “blackfish” that rely upon them.

For more information on these orcas, follow these links to recent media coverage from SOS member group NRDC and public radio in the Northwest and nationally.

(1) NRDC OnEarth Magazine: Whales With a Dam Problem - Orcas in the Pacific Northwest are struggling to boost their numbers. Could dams have something to do with it?

(2) KUOW Public Radio: How Helping Salmon Could Save Puget Sounds' Baby Orcas

(3) NPR’s Here and Now: Killer Whale Baby Boom Is Good News, But Why So Many Males?

5. Celebrate a Restored Elwha River this spring - in Seattle, Spokane, Pullman, Walla Walla, and Lewiston/Clarkston

This Spring, SOS is working with our conservation and business allies to host a series of events in Washington State that celebrate and examine the historic dam removal and restoration of the Elwha River and its salmon and steelhead on the Olympic Peninsula.

(1) In eastern Washington: We're hosting Return of the River – the award-winning documentary that shows how people came together to achieve the nation’s largest dam removal project to date – how it happened and what it means for Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe and other local communities, and the region's economy and ecology. All screenings will be followed by a panel of experts with Q&A to discuss lessons learned and what it means for restoring the lower Snake River.

Return of the River Screenings in Spokane (April), Pullman (April), Walla Walla (April) and Lewiston/Clarkston (Date TBD). Check back to the SOS website for further information. We'll send out further details shortly. Contact: Sam Mace

(2) In western Washington, we're co-hosting “An Evening on the Elwha” - Thursday, May 12 at the Town Hall of Seattle. Join us for a series of “speed-talks” by 10 experts who have been working to plan, implement, monitor and now restore to health the Elwha River watershed, post-dams. Contact: Joseph Bogaard

6. ‘Tis the season for whale-watching in the Salish Sea. Support these businesses!

Here are two businesses that support SOS’ work to rebuild healthy Chinook salmon populations in the Columbia/Snake Basin that are critical to the survival of Southern Resident Killer Whales - and so much more.

Western Prince Whale and Wildlife Watching Tours

San Juan Outfitters

In this issue:

1. Washington State Senate and House members send letter opposing HR 3144
2. Court orders increase in spill at Snake and Columbia river dams to help salmon in 2018
3. 'Loaves and Fishes' – SOS kicks off a discussion series in the Inland Northwest
4. ‘A Tale of Two Rivers’ draws large crowds and rich discussions in Seattle and Spokane
5. Congratulations! Nez Perce Tribe’s Watershed Division Awarded ‘Native Fish Conservationist of the Year’
6. Atlantic salmon net pens’ days appear numbered in Washington State
7. Relevant media from around the region
8. Salmon mean business! A special thanks to Duke’s Seafood and Chowder; Benziger Family Wines, and Fremont Brewing Company

1. Washington State Senate and House members send letter opposing HR 3144

On February 20, Senator Murray and Representatives Adam Smith (WA-9) and Pramila Jayapal (WA-7) sent a letter to the leadership in the U.S. Congress expressing their strong opposition to HR 3144, an anti-salmon bill that was introduced in the House by Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers back in June 2017. This latest letter joins similar statements of opposition that have been issued by Governor Jay Inslee (WA) and Governor Kate Brown (OR). Despite the mounting opposition in the Pacific Northwest, salmon and fishing advocates remain concerned that this bill will be pushed through Congress as a rider on a piece of “must-pass” legislation.

HR 3144 is a very bad deal. If it becomes law, it will overturn the excellent court decision from 2016 that rejected the federal agencies’ fifth consecutive Columbia-Snake salmon plan. 3144 would reinstate the inadequate and illegal 2014 Plan. It would weaken the Endangered Species Act and undermine our nation's obligations to Treaty Tribes. It would harm already-endangered salmon, critically endangered orca that need more salmon to survive, and struggling fishing communities. HR 3144 would also derail the much-needed environmental review ordered by the court and underway since October 2016. The review must make a full and fair examination of all salmon restoration alternatives, including the removal of four costly dams and the restoration of the lower Snake River. HR 3144, however, would prohibit even the study of dam removal or increased spill over the dams to help improve survival of juvenile salmon as they migrate through the deadly series of federal dams and reservoirs.

Read the Senate/House letter here.

Thank Senator Murray and Reps. Smith and Jayapal here. (Washington residents)

Send a note to your Congressional electeds to urge them to oppose HR 3144 here.

See other timely actions here.

Here is an Associated Press story about the Congressional Letter that appeared in newspapers including the Washington Post, Spokesman Review, and Lewiston Morning Tribune.

2. Court orders increase in spill at Snake and Columbia river dams to help salmon in 2018

On January 9, Judge Michael Simon of the U.S. District Court in Portland approved of a plan to increase spill during the spring months of 2018 over the lower Snake and lower Columbia River dams in order to provide further help for out-migrating juvenile salmon that are endangered by the federal hydro-system. The plan was jointly submitted by plaintiffs (salmon/fishing/orca/river advocates and the Nez Perce Tribe and State of Oregon) and defendants (federal dam agencies and NOAA) in late 2017 as requested by the court.

As a quick backgrounder, you’ll recall that the Court rejected the federal agencies' latest (2014) Columbia-Snake salmon plan in May 2016. At that time, it ordered the agencies to initiate the NEPA environmental review to examine all recovery options including lower Snake River dam removal. Soon after the ruling, plaintiffs asked the Court to order additional protection for at-risk salmon and steelhead, given the clearly inadequate, illegal plan. The Court ordered an increase in spill – to the maximum allowed under existing state water quality standards, starting in 2018, and asked the parties to develop that detailed plan together, if possible.

There’s a catch here though. While the agencies joined with salmon advocates to submit the plan to increase spill for 2018, they also decided to challenge the Court’s order to increase spill in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. So, as you read this, work is underway on this appeal. Due to the fast-approaching migration season (it starts in early April), the 9th Circuit has expedited their review of this case. Arguments will be presented before a three-judge panel on March 20 in San Francisco, and we expect a decision on Judge Simon's order very soon afterward.

The decision from the 9th Circuit will be a big deal for salmon, orca, fishing communities and others that rely on salmon and steelhead. These endangered populations need more help today, not less, and increased spill levels are the best option in the near-term to provide this help until we plan and implement a more comprehensive plan for the Columbia-Snake Basin that includes lower Snake dam removal, increased spill on the dams that remain, and other necessary measures. Stay tuned for legal updates later this month!

See press coverage on the Court’s Jan. 9 order here.

See our press release on the order here.

3. ‘Loaves and Fishes’ – SOS kicks off a discussion series in the Inland Northwest

March 4 will see the inaugural “Loaves and Fishes” gathering at Salem Lutheran Church in Spokane. This will be the beginning of a series that will feature tribal members, faith leaders, farmers and commercial fishermen sharing their values and their visions for the future of the Snake River and the wild salmon that inhabit it. The faith community has been a significant voice on salmon recovery, from the work of tribal leaders to preserve their ceremonies and way of life, to the spiritual musings of widely renowned author David James Duncan, and the voices of Catholic Bishops in their 2001 Pastoral Letter on the Columbia River Watershed. We will continue this tradition by engaging Eastern Washington communities in a morally guided dialogue that takes seriously the cares and concerns of all stakeholders and the Tribes. Wheat and wild salmon can share a space on our plate, in our economy and on the landscape in a manner that makes our communities stronger and more resilient.

Through these events we are inviting people less familiar with the details of Columbia-Snake salmon recovery to join together at the table, share a meal, ask questions, and form new alliances across different perspectives. The Spokane event on March 4 will feature David Brown Eagle of the Spokane Tribe, Rev. Liv Larson Andrews of Salem Lutheran Church, wheat farmer Bryan Jones, salmon fisherman Ron Richards, and Elliott Moffett of Nimiipuu Protecting the Environment. All are invited to join us for this as well as the subsequent events in Moscow (April 10), Walla Walla (April 12), and La Grande (April 14).

Contact jacob@wildsalmon.org for further details.

4. ‘A Tale of Two Rivers’ draws large crowds and rich discussions in Seattle and Spokane

Two of the Pacific Northwest’s acclaimed veteran journalists offered their perspectives on salmon, river restoration and dam removal to packed audiences at Seattle’s Burke Museum and Spokane’s historic Cracker Building in January at 'A Tale of Two Rivers'. Lynda Mapes with the Seattle Times reflected on the tremendous ecological restoration underway on the Elwha River on the Olympic Peninsula after two obsolete dams were removed in 2012, and Idaho Statesman reporter Rocky Barker offered his perspective on the changing conversation and economics, and sense of urgency for wild salmon and steelhead in the Columbia-Snake Basin. His comments focused especially on the state of play on the lower Snake River and the growing pressure to remove its four dams to restore salmon to thousands of miles of river in his home state. Former KING5 meteorologist Jeff Renner and Spokesman-Review Outdoor Editor Eli Francovich moderated the discussions and audience questions.

Barker and Mapes' on-the-ground knowledge and decades-long reporting on these rivers informed a thoughtful dialogue on lessons learned from the Elwha success story that can guide the work to build community support and political momentum for a similar success story on the Snake. Critical to the success on the Elwha and key to restoring the Snake River: building common ground with diverse stakeholders, providing solutions to help communities thrive and transition, and ultimately - persistence, persistence, persistence. Both evenings ended with a strong sense of hope for what is possible when citizens work together build the community solutions and political will to make positive change.

To learn more about the Elwha, pick up a copy of A River Reborn by Mapes and Seattle Times photographer Steve Ring.

And dive into Barker’s extensive 2017 multi-media series on the Snake River and its dams and salmon.

HUGE THANKS to our generous event sponsors including Duke’s Seafood & Chowder, Betziger Wines, Fremont Brewing Company Mountaineers Books in Seattle and Central Food, Kop Construction, Aunties Books and Eco Depot Solar in Spokane; and organization sponsors: Sierra Club, Spokane Falls Trout Unlimited, American Rivers, American Whitewater, National Wildlife Federation, NW Energy Coalition, Defenders of Wildlife, Earthjustice, Wild Steelhead Coalitionand Nimiipuu Protecting the Environment.

Stay tuned for video posts (full length and excerpts) from the Seattle event coming soon.

5. Congratulations! Nez Perce Tribe’s Watershed Division Awarded ‘Native Fish Conservationist of the Year’


The Watershed Division for the Nez Perce Tribe’s Fishery Department has been awarded the Richard L. Wallace Native Fish Conservationist of the Year Award. The award was presented on behalf of the Native Fish Committee of the Idaho Chapter of the American Fisheries Society.
 
"Each year the committee recognizes outstanding achievements in the theatre of native fish conservation in Idaho by a single individual, group, or organization," officials say.
 
The Committee's website says that the award was created by the Native Fish Committee in 2004 and is presented annually to an individual, group, or organization for outstanding achievement in native fish conservation in Idaho. The recipients are selected by the Native Fish Committee Chair from nominations made by Idaho Chapter members and the award is presented by the Native Fish Committee Chair at the annual meeting.
 


More information on the Watershed Division here.

More information on the Idaho Chapter of the American Fisheries Society here.

6. Atlantic salmon net pens’ days appear numbered in Washington State!

In what will be a big win for wild salmon and orca, the Salish Sea, Tribal communities, fishermen and conservationists, the Washington State Legislature is poised to vote on legislation that will permanently phase out Atlantic salmon fish farm operations in the Puget Sound. Following on the massive jail break by several hundred thousand Atlantic salmon in 2017, there has been a growing bi-partisan chorus to eliminate net pens in Washington State. Net pens create all kinds of problems in waters where they exist and create a whole new set of problems for already-endangered wild salmon. It doesn’t make any sense to promote these harmful fish farms while at the same time we’re spending millions of dollars to protect native populations from extinction.

Washington is the only state on the west coast that currently allows these types of fish farms. They have been long prohibited in California, Oregon and Alaska. British Columbia (Canada) still allows fish farming, though they are highly controversial and strongly opposed by conservationists, First Nations, orca advocates, and many fishermen.

Here are a couple of recent press stories on the controversy and debate in Washington State:

Seattle Times: Puget Sound region’s Atlantic salmon fish farms could be headed for final harvest (Feb. 26)

Seattle Times: Cooke Aquaculture inspection finds problems at 2 other Atlantic salmon pens (Feb. 18)

7. Relevant media from around the region:

Columbia Basin Bulletin: Harvest Managers Predict 23 Percent Decline In 2018 Fall Chinook Run, One-Half Of 10-Year Average (March 2)Harvest Managers Predict 23 Percent Decline In 2018 Fall Chinook Run, One-Half Of 10-Year Average (March 2)

Associated Press: U.S. considers protected status for wild spring Chinook in the Klamath Basin (Feb. 24)

Science News: Largest Chinook salmon disappearing from West Coast (Feb. 27)

Science News: Wind and solar power could meet four-fifths of US electricity demand, study finds (Feb. 27)

8. Salmon mean business!

In this issue, SOS would like to thank these businesses for their support for protecting and restoring the healthy habitat that wild salmon and steelhead – and the ecological, economic and cultural benefits that they deliver – depend upon. We hope that you'll support them with your dollars. For a fuller list of our business allies and partners, visit our website.

In This Issue:

1.  DamNation in D.C. - A report from the nation's capitol

2.  Orca advocates: "Restore the lower Snake River to feed hungry, endangered orcas"

3. Lower Snake River barging takes another hit

4.  Good news from the “California Department of River Restoration”

5.  Recent coverage of the newly-restored Elwha River

1. DamNation in D.C. - A report from the nation's capitol:

A. The White House was presented with petition signed by more than 65,000 citizens urging President Obama to consider Snake River dam removal.

Last month SOS Inland NW Director Sam Mace and retired Army Corps of Engineers staff Jim Waddell joined Patagonia clothing company in Washington D.C. to deliver a petition to the White House urging President Obama to put removal of the four lower Snake River dams back on the table.

Along with the petition, salmon advocates carried a letter signed by nine Northwest scientists urging Members of Congress to support dam removal to save the Puget Sound’s much-loved orcas, whose decline is linked to the extreme loss of Columbia-Snake River salmon.  

Jim Waddell has attracted new converts with his personal story of working on the Corps’ lower Snake River dam removal feasibility study 15 years ago when the agency put forth faulty economic data in order to justify keeping the dams.  As a Corps project manager in 1999, Waddell argued that the dams should come out in the interests of both endangered salmon and American taxpayers. On this trip, he brought his message and story to Congress and the Administration.

New interest in dam removal is steadily building in the Northwest and in D.C.   As the region and nation celebrate the restoration of a once-again free-flowing Elwha River, its returning salmon and steelhead demonstrate how removing dams to restore rivers can benefit communities and economies (and orcas!). There is also a growing recognition that the aging lower Snake River dams provide few benefits today when compared to the escalating costs of maintaining them. There is in addition a rapidly spreading awareness of these dams are severely limiting a critical food source - chinook salmon - for endangered Puget Sound orcas (see story below). All these types of factors are helping stir a new look at and new public support for removing these four high cost-low value dams.

B. DamNation plays to sold out D.C. crowd
DamNation screened twice in D.C. in January - first on Capitol Hill hosted by Senator Al Franken, followed by a panel discussion moderated by National Geographic content editor Chris Johns, who grew up in Oregon salmon country. DamNation then played to a sold-out audience at National Geographicas part of the touring Banff Film Festival.  A year after its release, this powerful and hopeful film continues to inspire and mobilize people. There’s no question that this film documenting dam removal success stories around the country is changing the conversation on the lower Snake.

C. Make yourself heard!
Join more than 70,000 others calling on President Obama to put lower Snake River dam removal squarely back on the table.  While you are at it, sign the petition here to Washington State Governor Jay Inslee urging him to restore Puget Sound orcas’ food source by removing the four lower dams.

NAT GEO: “Dam Removal Has Really Captured the Public’s Imagination” A year after their award-winning film came out, the DamNation filmmakers share a look at the growing public support for “deadbeat” dam removal in the U.S.

NETFLIX: DamNation is now available for streaming on Netflix - just in case you have not yet seen it - or you've got to watch it again!

2. Orca advocates call to restore the lower Snake River to feed hungry, endangered orcas

Orcas – or Killer Whales – have been roaming the waters of Puget Sound and our nation’s west coast since long before humans arrived in the Pacific Northwest. The orcas that frequent the Puget Sound in Washington State – Southern Resident Killer Whales, or SRKWs – rely almost exclusively on chinook salmon. Not long ago the coastal waters of the Northwest were full of big, abundant chinook virtually year-round. But the steep decline in salmon populations in recent decades has contributed significantly to a similar decline in the number of SRKWs and scientists have recently found strong evidence of “nutritional stress” in the whales. With less chinook in the ocean, SRKWs are forced to work harder as they find less fish. As they burn through their blubber to make up for inadequate food, the whales release toxins that harm them and – for pregnant or lactating females – the young orcas who are critical to this unique population's survival.

Here are a few critical SRKW facts:
-- SRKWs have been listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act since 2005.
-- Today, there are just 79 SRKWs, down from at least 200, less than 100 years ago.
-- NOAA-Fisheries, the federal agency charged with protecting this imperiled species has described the decline of salmon in the Columbia River basin as “[p]erhaps the single greatest change in food availability for resident killer whales since the late 1800s...”
-- Despite this critical relationship between SRKWs and Columbia Basin chinook salmon, NOAA has done very little to actually rebuild abundant salmon populations there – leaving salmon and orcas increasingly vulnerable to extinction.

Two things have changed recently. First, scientists have clearly documented the SRKWs spending lots of time hunting for and feeding on Columbia Basin Chinook – especially in the lean months of winter. Second, in just the last two years, eight SRKWs have died – a 10% decrease in an already endangered population!

According to a December 20 article in the Seattle Times“officials overseeing whale recovery say it’s too soon to say the situation is, in fact, dire.” Will Stelle, NOAA’s West Coast Director, declared "if you look in the rearview mirror, you’ll see that in fact over the last decade we’ve made substantial progress in building the basic foundation for a long-term conservation strategy for southern residents. We’re by no means there...[but] [t]his is not the time to light our hair on fire, or to run about saying ‘The sky is falling, the sky is falling,’ ” he said. “What is really important here is to take the long view.”

Orca advocates and scientists, however, disagree. A growing number of people are becoming frustrated with NOAA’s slow-walking approach to recovery. Salmon and orca advocates see NOAA's "long view" approach as a sure-fire extinction strategy for SRKWs and the chinook salmon they depend upon. Our collective patience has worn thin waiting for NOAA to address these problems and recover these two iconic Northwest species.

A group of concerned citizens have recently established the Southern Resident Killer Whale – Chinook Salmon Initiative to raise public awareness about the SRKW crisis and to mobilize people who love orcas to add their voice to the growing number of people who are now convinced that the costs of the lower Snake River dams far exceed their benefits – and calling for their removal.

Here’s one immediate way that you can help: sign the SRKW-CSI petition: Don’t Dam Orcas to Extinction!

Additional Reading / News Coverage:

Seattle Times: Ten years after ESA listing, killer whale numbers falling (December 20, 2014)

Islands Weekly: Dam Removal Initiative finds footing in D.C. (January 31, 2015)

3. Lower Snake River barging takes another hit

Barge traffic on the lower Snake River took yet another hit recently as the Port of Portland’s largest container shipping company, Hanjin, announced it was leaving.  Hanjin ships 1600 containers in and out of the Port of Portland each week. Its departure means even fewer containers will ship down the lower Snake River from Port of Lewiston. Container shipping on the lower Snake has already seen a decline of more than 65 percent in the last decade. Hanjin’s announcement deals it another blow.  Read about Hanjin here.

This development will make it even harder to justify the growing pile of taxpayer money being devoted to maintain the lower Snake dams and its waterway.  Fishing and conservation groups are currently in court with the Nez Perce Tribe challenging the Army Corps of Engineers' plans to dredge the lower Snake River. We have two main concerns: (1) adverse impacts to wild salmon and Pacific Lamprey and (2) the Corps' failure to properly justify this expensive project in the face of its extremely limited benefits. The Corps’ dredging study by itself cost $16+ million.

Meanwhile, the Port of Lewiston just posted its worst year (2014) ever - following on its previous worst year in 2013. Its problems have become impossible to ignore.  Read more here. Container shipping from Port of Lewiston has declined 82 percent since 1997.   Shipping of all goods including wheat has declined 69 percent.  With new and planned investments in rail infrastructure and expanded capacity in eastern Washington, wheat shipments are likely to continue to move off the river for the foreseeable future.   

In fact, rail - not barge - investments are some of the largest new developments at the river ports.  The Port of Wilma on the lower Snake downstream from Clarkston, for example, has a new facility to handle fertilizers, 90 percent of which will travel to the Port by rail rather than river.  

Already the lower Snake waterway contributes just 4 percent of the entire traffic on the so-called “Columbia-Snake waterway.”  So little freight ships on the lower Snake currently that the waterway qualifies as a “negligible use” project under the Army Corps' own definition.  With limited federal dollars and major maintenance investments piling up on the far more valuable lower Columbia River infrastructure that provides significant power, flood control, irrigation and shipping - it's time to rethink funneling more money into the high-cost low-value lower Snake River dams.

A judge is expected to rule later this year as to whether the Corps’ dredging plan is lawful.  As barge traffic continues to drop, the economic arguments for keeping the four dams continue to drop with it.

4. Good news from the “California Department of River Restoration”:

A. Stanford University has been ordered to remove the abandoned Lagunita Dam on the San Francisquito River: A court recently ordered Stanford University to remove its abandoned and environmentally harmful Lagunita Diversion Dam from the mainstem of the San Francisquito Creek. For two decades, local conservation groups, community leaders, and state and federal agencies have pushed for the removal of this dam and steelhead migration impediment. The San Francisquito Watershed Council’s Steelhead Task Force identified the dam as a top fish passage problem on this creek's mainstem. This important removal project will eliminate this significant barrier – leaving Searsville Dam as the last and largest impediment to restoring a healthy creek and steelhead to their ancestral habitat upstream.

For more information, visit Beyond Searsville Dam here.

B. Progress on the Carmel River – California’s largest dam removal project … so far!
SOS friend Julie Hansen of Monterey Bay recently visited the San Clemente Dam on the Carmel River in the coastal mountains of central California. Thank you Julie for this report and photos:

The 106 ft dam - now owned by California American Water (Cal Am) - was built in 1921 to provide water for a growing Monterey Peninsula.  While it once held 1425 acre-feet of water, it was determined in 2008 that its capacity had diminished to just 70 acre-feet due to sediment build up (a 95 percent reduction in capacity!). It has not been used as a water source for several years. In the 1990's, the California Department of Water Resources Division of the Safety of Dams also determined that the dam to be a risk to public safety as the aging, dated structure would be unable to withstand a major flood or earthquake.
     

Over the last 2 decades and after consideration of many options, it was finally determined that the dam should come down.  Dam removal was viewed as the best option because it would:

When completed, Cal Am will donate 928 acres of adjacent land to the Bureau of Land Management for watershed protection and addition to two adjacent regional parks.


Work to remove the dams formally began in 2013. So far, the Carmel River has been rerouted and the existing sediment stabilized. Dam demolition is expected to commence in August this year. Restoration, rehabilitation, and monitoring will continue into 2016.


Below the San Clemente Dam lies an older, smaller dam. The Old Carmel River Dam (also known as the China Creek Dam) was built in 1880 to provide water for the then-small community of Monterey.  When the San Clemente dam was completed in the 1920’s, the Old Careml River Dam was "decommissioned" but not removed.  Fortunately, this structure is scheduled for removal in 2016.
 This is the largest dam removal project so far (!!!) in the state of California; it is expected to cost about $88 million.

For more information: SFGate: Carmel River diverted to demolish San Clemente Dam (Sunday, December 14, 2014)

 5. Recent coverage of the newly-restored Elwha River:

A. Outside Magazine
: What Happens When You Demolish Two 100-Year-Old Dams? Can the largest river restoration project in history serve as a template for other waterways across the country?

B. Here is a 2-minute video of one of our nation’s most newly restored rivers coming back to life during a flood event on February 6. Footage courtesy of John Gussman – co-director of the Return of the River.

C. For more on the award-winning film Return of the River– including upcoming screenings, go here!

Here is the January issue of SOS' online newsletter. Enjoy!

1.    Thank you for a successful year-end fund drive!
2.    A ninth calf is born to the Southern Resident Orcas!
3.    2015 Lower Snake River Commercial Navigation: Another Year of Decline
4.    Climate Change and the solidifying case for restoring the lower Snake.

1.  Thank you for a successful year-end fund drive!
On behalf of Save Our wild Salmon’s board and staff, I want to thank you for a very successful year-end fund drive – our best ever! Online donations met our $15,000 challenge match almost to the dollar – you effectively doubled your contribution and we raised $30,000 as a result. In addition, the generous gifts of other donors, business supporters and small foundation grants combined for $60,000 more. We exceeded our December goals. This unexpected boost will help us hit the ground running in 2016 and build on the momentum that we - together with your help – generated last year.

We deeply appreciate your support. Onward together in 2016!

DONOR GIFTS: Most (but not quite all) donor gifts have been sent. if you requested a gift when you donated in December, but have not yet received it, don't lose the faith! We expect to get everything out the door this week!

YEAR-END RAFFLE: We also want to announce the winners of our year-end raffle! Five SOS year-end donors will receive signed copies of Dr. Carl Safina's award-winning book: Beyond Words - what animals think and feel. It includes a fascinating focus on the Northwest's Southern Resident Killer Whales and highlights the pioneering work of the "Dean of the Orca Research"  Ken Balcomb - as well as other regional orca scientists and experts.

2015 RAFFLE WINNERS:Laura L. of Seattle, WA; Joan P. of Edmonds, WA; Adam H. of Sitka, AK; Teresa P. of Athens, GA, and Rob K. of Portland, OR. Congratulations to the winners - and thank you all for your support!

Read on for several updates and links to further information on Columbia/Snake River Basin salmon restoration activities and related issues...

2.  A ninth calf has been born to the Southern Resident Orcas!
More good news! Another calf has appeared among the endangered Southern Residents Killer Whales. This is the ninth calf born to the SRKWs in the past fourteen months – an unprecedented cluster of births that gives new hope to the future of these unique salmon-eating orcas. There are now an estimated 85 SRKWs swimming in Northwest coastal waters. Needless to say, we still have a long ways to go to bring the SRKWs back from the brink, but these recent births are cause for celebration.

Here’s a recent article in the Seattle Times: Puget Sound orca numbers rise fast after 30-year low in 2014.

Additionally, a new study was recently published confirming (again) the critical importance of big fatty chinook salmon to the survival of the Southern Residents. The study was based on an analysis of 175 fecal samples collected in the summer months in the Salish Sea of Washington State and British Columbia. 98% of the genetic sequences identified belonged to salmon – 80% Chinook and 15% coho. Read more about it here in the Columbia Basin Bulletin: Study: Chinook Salmon Make Up 80 Percent Of Diet For ESA-Listed Killer Whales In Pacific Northwest.

On a related topic, the Orca-Salmon Alliance -the new coalition that SOS helped to found last year - is pressing NOAA-Fisheries to move ahead quickly to analyze the scores of SRKW fecal samples it has collected off the coast of the Pacific Northwest, but today are languishing in freezers. During the winter months of 2014 and 2015, NOAA scientists collected orca fecal samples near the mouth of the Columbia River and along the Washington State coast. While NOAA has done an excellent job collecting these samples, they have not prioritized analyzing (and thus learning from) them. Many Killer Whale scientists are confident that these samples will reflect the consumption of Columbia and Snake River salmon by the Southern Residents and underscore the importance of rebuilding Columbia Basin chinook populations (especially spring chinook) in order to protect and recover the SRKWs that depend upon them. Whatever information these samples hold, we need it now (!!) to help direct restoration and management programs for our imperiled – and often hungry - orca.

Finally, on Friday, January 22nd OSA submitted formal comments - raising serious concerns about lethal threats to salmon and orca if the massive Tesoro-Savage oil-by-rail proposal is approved by Washington State. In its Draft EIS, Tesoro-Savage readily admits that oil spills will occur if this new oil-by-rail project is established. Oil spills and leaks will harm the lower Columbia River and its estuary downstream. Already-imperiled Columbia and Snake River salmon and steelhead rely on and migrate through this reach of the river to get to and from the Pacific Ocean. So oil pollution and related accidents pose another huge threat to the health of the lower Columbia, to struggling salmon populations – and to the orcas that rely upon them. You can download OSA’s formal comments here.

3.  2015 Lower Snake River Commercial Navigation: Another Year of Decline.
Last year saw further declines in freight transportation on the Lower Snake waterway, near record-low hydropower production, and an ecological disaster for threatened and endangered salmon. Here are some excerpts from a fact sheet recently created and distributed by Linwood Laughy of Kooskia Idaho.

•   Freight transport on the lower Snake dropped 20% in 2015 compared to the previous year. Freight volume has now declined 70% over the past fifteen years. Bulk grain is nearly the only product still barged on the river. Container shipping on the lower Snake has all but ceased, and the likelihood of a reopening of container traffic at the Port of Portland remains slim at best. The Snake River falls into the Corps of Engineers’ category of a waterway of “negligible use.” If freight volume doubled on the lower Snake, the river would remain a “negligible use” waterway.

•   Lower Snake River hydropower production fell to just 748 average Megawatts (aMW) in 2015, the second lowest level in at least the last dozen years behind the 2013 output of 746 aMW. Compared to total nameplate capacity of 3,033 aMW, these dams in 2015 had an efficiency rating under 25%. In total, the four LSR dams are producing less than 3% of the energy of the Pacific Northwest power grid and less than one-third of the output of Northwest wind energy. The Pacific Northwest presently has an energy surplus at least four times total LSR dam production, and the Northwest Power and Conservation Council predicts this surplus will continue well into the future.
 
•   After 20+ years and billions of dollars spent on fish mitigation, four threatened and endangered wild Snake River salmon and steelhead species remain in jeopardy of extinction. In 2015, juvenile fish losses through the 8-dam Snake/Columbia hydro system exceeded 60%. 98% of returning Snake River adult sockeye perished due primarily to high water temperatures in the river, with just 45 sockeye completing the journey to Redfish Lake.

•   Meanwhile, the costs of operating and maintaining the four Lower Snake River dams continues to escalate. The cost of sediment management near the confluence of the Snake and Clearwater Rivers over the past six years surpassed $27 million, with much of these costs attributable to maintaining the Port of Lewiston’s status as a “seaport.” Phase one of further fish passage modifications at Lower Granite Dam hit the $50 million mark in 2015, with still unknown costs for Phase II. Total fish mitigation costs on the Columbia/Snake passed $14 billion (yes, billion), with 2014 costs alone reported to be nearly $800 million. A four-month river closure for major lock repairs that begins in December 2016 will cost more untold millions.

Read the entire factsheet here.

4.  Climate Change and the solidifying case for investing in resilience and restoring the lower Snake River.
There are a host of reasons today for removing the lower Snake River dams, including the waste of taxpayer dollars, the threat of salmon - and orca - extinction, serially-illegal federal salmon plans, Tribal justice, and the opportunities for economic development and job creation.

Climate change is one more reason.

Last summer sent us an unmistakeable message when record-breaking fish kills* were caused by unusual but not unanticipated high river temperatures – a condition made much worse by the many dams and slackwater reservoirs. Scientists long ago however began pointing to the immense, high elevation, protected, high quality habitats upstream from the lower Snake River as a critical cold-water refugia for some of the most unique and longest and highest migrating wild salmon and steelhead on the planet.

But this can only occur if we remove the four lower Snake River dams and thereby restore productive access for wild salmon and steelhead to the Pacific Ocean and to their high-elevation spawning grounds.

Lots of media (here’s vox.com, as one example) this month has been ringing alarm bells about how the warming trends in the Northwest and everywhere else continue apace  - and in 2015 even accelerated thanks to the return of a stronger-than-usual El Nino weather pattern in the Pacific Ocean.

The Lewiston Morning Tribune, located almost literally on the banks of the lower Snake River in Idaho, ran a related but different story -  Idaho landscape could be safe haven for native fish -  about the critical role of the Snake River Basin (esp. central Idaho and eastern Washington and Oregon) for providing a climate refuge for these endangered one-of-a-kind fish. Some refer to this geography the "Noah's Ark" for wild salmon in an era of climate change.

The article describes how “Idaho's vertical geography may give salmon, steelhead and other native fish a fighting chance as climate change continues to alter their habitat for the worse.” Read it here.

--------------------------

* For further information on the recent reports and studies: The Fish Passage Center and NOAA-Fisheries both issued reports last fall summarizing the survival (or lack thereof) of both juvenile and adult salmon as they migrated through the Columbia and Snake River dams and reservoirs last summer. Abnormally warm waters hammered the already endangered salmon and steelhead – leading to record-breaking mortalities and setting up ever lower adult returns for at least the next several years.

According to the FPC Report: "our overall conclusion is that elevated water temperatures in the Columbia and Snake rivers, including adult fishways, is a long-recognized problem that to date remains largely unmitigated. Significant long-term actions to address these temperature issues are necessary for the continued survival of salmon populations, particularly sockeye."

You can read about NOAA’s report in the Columbia Basin Bulletin: Preliminary 2015 Spring Juvenile Survival Estimates Through Snake/Columbia River Dams Dismal

In this issue:

1.    Year-end fundraising round-up
2.    NEPA Review Update – Comment Extension: Feds say “Yes”. Additional Public Meetings: Feds say “No.”
3.    Tragedy strikes endangered Northwest orcas … again.
4.    Snake River Chinook make into ESC's “Top Ten” List
5.    Save the Date! The 3rd Annual ‘Free the Snake’ Flotilla and Rally – Sept. 9!
6.    Salmon Mean Business!

1.   A Year-end Fundraising Update:
First, we want to thank all of you that were able to generously contribute to support our work in the new year. We had a very active, successful 2016. With your generosity in December, we’re now better prepared to carry that momentum into 2017. Congress and the incoming administration are sure to present big challenges. And we’re ready to work with our partners and allies regionally and nationally to protect wild salmon, wild rivers, and wild places – and the many communities that rely on them.

As you may recall, we announced a $7500 1:1 match on Dec. 26 - thanks to a donor/supporter from Portland, Oregon. We’re happy to report that we more than met the match. Thank you to all who helped us seize this opportunity - and double your money.

We also want to announce our 2016 Year-end raffle winners! Our raffle prizes this year: Three copies of Solutionary Rail – written by Bill Moyer and Patrick Mazza, recently published by the Backbone Campaign, and with a forward by renowned climate activist Bill McKibben. These copies are signed by co-author and BBC executive director Bill Moyer. Solutionary Rail explores how electrifying and expanding our nation’s rail transport system presents a series of interconnected solutions and opportunities for shipping goods, moving people, attacking climate change, and - in the Northwest – can be part of the solution to protect wild salmon and restore healthy rivers!

This year’s raffle winners:
Joan P. of Edmonds, Washington
Michael S. of Pullman, Washington
Thomas M. of Boise, Idaho

Congratulations! Thank you again. And look for your book in the mail later this month.

Finally – if you have ordered a shirt/hat/poster with your SOS donation last month, but have not yet received it, do not despair. We’ll be working on fulfillment through the month of January. And if you ordered a t-shirt, but have not sent me your size – please do so ASAP: joseph@wildsalmon.org

2.   Update on the court-ordered NEPA Review for Columbia/Snake salmon and dams
First, thanks to all of you who have submitted your comments, attended a rally for wild salmon and a free-flowing Snake, written a letter-to-the-editor, contacted your elected officials, educated your friends and family, or otherwise have helped to build awareness and support for restoring wild salmon and healthy rivers.

Second, more than 30 organizations and business associations sent a letter to the so-called Action Agencies (InAction Agencies perhaps?) last fall seeking a vastly improved public meeting format, an extended comment deadline, and additional meetings to better allow participation and representation of fishing communities along the West Coast from California to Alaska whose jobs and livelihoods depend on these foot-dragging agencies finally getting it right!

Well, we just got word that the agencies have decided to extend the comment deadline...by just three weeks. We had asked for 60 additional days to better ensure that people have sufficient time to understand the issues and provide their input.

Improved public meeting format to allow a meaningful community dialogue? Nope.

Additional meetings on the coast to better allow fishermen to participate? Not one. Fifteen of sixteen meetings hosted by the feds have occurred far from the coast. Just one – in Astoria (OR) will occur on the coast, in a single fishing community. (It has been rescheduled for 1/9 – join us if you have to be in the area on the 9th – contact joseph@wildsalmon.org for details).

The dam agencies in the Northwest just don't seem to get it!

View a GALLERY OF PHOTOS from our rallies and public meetings this fall.

Read the FISHERMEN’S NEWS: ‘Fatal Flaws’ Fluster Fishermen in Federal Salmon Recovery Plan Coastal communities get short shrift in new public hearings process (Dec. 2016)

How can you help now?
-- SUBMIT YOUR COMMENTS before 2/9 in support of wild salmon and healthy rivers. So far, more than 250,000 salmon and river and orca and taxpayer advocates have delivered their comments to the Action Agencies supporting meaningful, cost-effective salmon restoration that includes the removal of the four costly dams on the lower Snake River. Make you’re your voice is heard! Let's double this number!

Take action HERE!

-- SPREAD THE ACTION LINK widely – to your friends, family, colleagues, and networks via email and social media.

-- CONTACT YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS – ask them to support wild salmon, healthy orcas, freely-flowing rivers – and to insist (and verify) that the agencies are honest and transparent, and fully and fairly consider all recovery options including lower Snake River dam removal.

3.   Tragedy strikes Northwest orcas again – two more deaths
2016 was a devastating year for the Southern Resident Killer Whales of the Pacific Northwest. Six orcas from the J-pod and L-pod died in 2016; two very recently. J-34, an adolescent male, was recently found on the coast of British Columbia. His necropsy suggest the 18-year old male orca died of blunt force trauma caused by a boat. We’re awaiting the release of further details in the weeks ahead.

On Tuesday, January 3, the Center for Whale Research announced its determination that Granny, the oldest known orca on the planet and matriarch for the SRKWs, had died. She’s not been seen for several months. Granny was thought to be more than 105 years old.

Just 78 Southern Residents remain today. See the links below for additional coverage:

CROSSCUT: Brutal year sets back orca recovery (Jan. 2)

BBC: World's oldest known killer whale Granny dies (Jan. 3)

KING5-TV: Vigils held for Southern Resident Orcas (Dec. 27)

4.   Snake River Chinook make the Endangered Species Coalition's “Top Ten” List

In December the Endangered Species Coalition (ESC) released its annual "Top Ten List" of imperiled species in need of greater protections to halt their decline and restore populations.

Removing the Walls to Recovery: Top 10 Species Priorities for a New Administration included the Snake River's endangered spring/summer chinook salmon, which migrate hundreds of miles from the ocean to the many river tributaries in the Snake basin.  This report highlights the need for lower Snake dam removal to restore salmon populations, a vital food source for Puget Sound orcas, and increasingly threatened by the impacts of climate change.

“We nominated Snake River chinook for this report because with climate change, these four money-losing dams become deadlier each summer, when reservoir water temperatures become lethally hot, causing fish kills” said Save Our Wild Salmon Inland Northwest Director Sam Mace.  “But if we free the Snake River of these dams, wild salmon will once again access thousands of miles of pristine, high-elevation habitat that can provide an ark for salmon in a warming world.”

Snake River chinook salmon are among the longest and highest-migrating salmon on the planet – some swimming nearly 1,000 miles upstream and climbing more than 6,000 feet in elevation to reach their spawning grounds. More than 130 other species depend upon salmon, including ESA-endangered orcas.

“Since Northwest rivers began to flow, a population of orcas known as the Southern Residents have relied on Columbia basin salmon to sustain them.  Spring chinook that spawn in the Snake River basin are especially critical for survival of this unique and now endangered orca community.  Unfortunately, the lower Snake River dams have decimated this critical food source.  The impact these dams have on this precious, but dwindling, population of orcas, must be addressed.” said Howard Garrett, Board President of Orca Network.

Read the full report here.

5.    Save the Date! The 3rd Annual ‘Free the Snake’ Flotilla and Rally – Sept. 9, 2017 in southeast Washington State.

Mark your calendars: the 3rd annual Free the Snake Flotilla has been set for Saturday, September 9.th. More than 350 people took to the water in a wide variety of watercraft last year—kayaks, traditional tribal canoes, rafts, dories and pontoons--for a fun community paddle on the lower Snake in support of removing four outdated dams.

Exact location and details of this year’s paddle are still to be determined, as are associated events. But it’s guaranteed to be an inspiring day on the water.

Please contact Sam Mace at sam@wildsalmon.org or if you want to be added to the email list for event updates, if your organization or business would like to be sponsor, or you would like to help out.  And check out www.freethesnake.com in late winter for additional details.

Check out this video from last year’s event and Canoe & Kayak Magazine’s photo spread.

6.   Salmon Mean Business! A Chinook-sized “thank you” to these businesses for their support for SOS

Wild Salmon & Steelhead News is produced by the Save Our wild Salmon Coalition. Read on to learn about the condition and trends of endangered wild salmon and steelhead populations in the Columbia-Snake River Basin and the many benefits they deliver to the people and ecosystems in the Northwest and nation. And to find out what you can do to get more involved and help protect and restore them to healthy, abundant and fishable populations.

Contact Angela if you have questions or to discuss how to get more involved.

IN THIS ISSUE:

1. 2019 RETURNS OF THE SNAKE AND COLUMBIA RIVER SALMON FALL FAR SHORT OF FISH MANAGERS’ LOW PREDICTIONS; COMMUNITIES STRUGGLE AS FISHING SEASONS CLOSE

2. CONGRESSMAN MIKE SIMPSON (R-ID) ASKS “WHAT IF?” THE LOWER SNAKE RIVER DAMS MUST BE REMOVED TO PROTECT SALMON AND STEELHEAD FROM EXTINCTION

3. POLITICAL PROGRESS AND EMERGING LEADERSHIP IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST

4. ‘DAMMED TO EXTINCTION’ - NEW DOCUMENTARY HIGHLIGHTS THE PLIGHT OF SOUTHERN RESIDENT ORCAS AND THE IMPORTANCE OF RESTORING THE LOWER SNAKE RIVER AND ITS SALMON

5. NEW CALF IN MAY MEANS “+1” FOR SOUTHERN RESIDENT ORCAS!

1. 2019 RETURNS OF THE SNAKE AND COLUMBIA RIVER SALMON FALL FAR SHORT OF FISH MANAGERS’ LOW PRE-SEASON PREDICTIONS; NORTHWEST COMMUNITIES STRUGGLE AS FISHING SEASONS CLOSE.

Almost across the board, adult salmon returns to the Columbia and Snake River continue to head in the wrong direction. Returns so far this season for spring Chinook, sockeye and steelhead all show continued and very troubling declines. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s 2019 forecast for Snake River Spring Chinook, for example, was just 11,200 fish - of which 2,100 were wild fish (Historic returns numbered in the millions). Then, in late May, forecasts were downgraded twice, with returns occurring at only 30% of these initial projections. As a result of these terrible returns, Idaho closed Chinook salmon fishing on the Clearwater river in May, with Washington State quickly following suit.

Summer Chinook returns which began in mid-June were initially tracking fish managers’ (low) pre-season estimates, but recently dropped off. The only potential bright spot may be coho, or silver salmon, but it is still too early to know for certain. They are particularly sensitive to ocean conditions; their relatively robust numbers may indicate that cyclic poor ocean conditions have recently improved. Most Columbia River coho begin life in hatcheries and return to the lower Columbia River – and so are largely unaffected by Bonneville and the other federal dams and reservoirs further upstream.

Context is critical here. Salmon returns to the Columbia Basin this year are among the lowest on record – they are coming in at just a fraction of the 10-year average and in many cases far below what fisheries experts predicted at the start of the season. For Snake River populations, this is the fifth consecutive year of decline in adult returns. Despite billions of dollars spent across more than two decades, the return-on-investment is, by any definition, unacceptable. Clearly, a new lawful and science-based approach is needed (Hint: it includes a restored, freely flowing river).

Needless to say, the benefits that salmon deliver – including essential food for critically endangered Southern Resident orca – have also declined steeply too and are creating a nest of related problems harming communities and ecosystems.

For communities like Riggins, Idaho, these fishing closures mean severe economic harm. The sport fishing industry has been a huge component of their annual income and economic activity: guiding, sales, rentals, hotels, food, etc. Without fishing opportunity, the town’s tourism economy suffers. Kerry Brennan, a part-time guide told the Lewiston Morning Tribune that he thought salmon returns had already bottomed out in years previous, and “if this ain’t the bottom, it’s going to be pretty scary.”

Robust salmon runs up the Snake and into tributaries like the Clearwater River can attract tourists regionally and nationally. A study by the Idaho Fish and Wildlife Foundation found that a restored salmon and steelhead fishery would create thousands of full-time jobs statewide and add hundreds of millions of dollars annually to river communities like Riggins, Salmon, and Challis. A restored Snake River has the potential to not only bring back healthy salmon runs, but to also rebuild and diversify healthy communities across the Northwest.

For more information:

(1) Seattle Times: Chinook bust on the Columbia: Spring returns worse than forecast on Northwest’s largest river (Mapes, 30 May 2019)

(2) Lewiston Morning Tribune: Spring chinook season comes to close (Barker, 5 June 2019)

(3) Idaho Fish & Game: very few sockeye salmon returning to Idaho (9 July 2019) 

2. CONGRESSMAN MIKE SIMPSON (R-ID) ASKS “WHAT IF?” THE LOWER SNAKE RIVER DAMS MUST BE REMOVED TO PROTECT SALMON AND STEELHEAD FROM EXTINCTION

At a conference last April hosted by the Andrus Center of Public Policy, Congressman Mike Simpson (R-ID) delivered keynote remarks expressing his grave concerns about the declining populations of Idaho-bound wild salmon and steelhead and the health and future of the Bonneville Power Administration (the agency responsible for marketing and distributing the power generated by the federal dams in the Columbia Basin).

Congressman Simpson announced that he is “getting tired of Idaho paying the costs of those dams and getting none of the benefits” and he committed “to do whatever is necessary to bring the salmon back.” Congressman Simpson’s remarks were welcomed by salmon and fishing advocates across the region that have been fighting for years to protect and restore native fish populations endangered by the harmful effects of the federal dams and their reservoirs – especially on the lower Snake River. Though he did not explicitly endorse removal of the lower Snake River dams, he did serve it up as an option that he and his staff have been studying closely and talking about with others.

The facts around Snake River salmon, of course, are stark and urgent action is needed to protect and restore the Northwest’s native fish and the many benefits they deliver to our communities and ecology.

• All remaining Snake River salmon and steelhead populations are at risk of extinction today
• Adult returns to the Snake River have declined steadily in each of the last five years and in 2019 are among the lowest returns on record.
• Our region and nation has spent $16B+ over the past two decades, but has yet to recover a single population in the Columbia and Snake rivers.
• Many fishing businesses and communities on the coast and inland are struggling to make ends meet; declining Snake and Columbia river salmon and steelhead returns are a big part of the problem.
  
• The last five salmon plans produced by the federal government have all been found inadequate and illegal.

By any metric, the federal government’s salmon strategy for the Columbia Basin is failing and a dramatically new approach is needed. Congressman Simpson understands this.

Congressman Simpson is also worried about the big financial challenges that the BPA faces today: it has burned through more than $800M in reserves in the last 5 or so years; its projects – dams and reservoirs – are aging and costs to maintain and repair are steadily rising. Despite heavy spending, its salmon recovery investments have delivered a dismal return-on-investment, its latest plan is illegal, and the court – and the people of the Northwest – require much more. Meanwhile, renewable energy projects are expanding and their costs plummeting. For the first time in more than 80 years, the BPA business model isn’t working so well. In his comments in April, Rep. Simpson emphasized the importance of both BPA and wild salmon to the people of Idaho and the Northwest and the need to address the related problems they face together.

(1) Read some of Congressman Simpson’s quotes from his keynote address at the Andrus Center conference here (PDF).

(2) See Congressman Simpson’s full remarks here (45 minutes; video).

(3) Idaho Statesman: Simpson stops short of calling for dam removal to save salmon. But he is asking, ‘What if?’ (25 April 2019)

(4) Seattle Times Guest Opinion: Can Bonneville Power Administration be saved? (31 May 2019) 

3. POLITICAL PROGRESS AND EMERGING LEADERSHIP IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST

While Congressman Simpson has made recent public commitments to restore wild salmon and steelhead and ensure a healthy BPA, he isn't the only one. In the last several years, policymakers at the state and federal levels have begun to step up, shake up the status quo and push for real solutions to recover salmon, protect orca and invest in affected communities. SOS supports this leadership and calls for it to continue and grow.

First, it is important to recognize the strong and successful partnership that SOS and its member groups have maintained with the State of Oregon and Nez Perce Tribe. We are very grateful for this alliance. Both have been steadfast in their commitment to salmon recovery, to holding the federal government accountable to the federal laws and to upholding our obligations to Northwest people, cultures and ecosystems.

Second, we greatly appreciate Senator Murray’s successful efforts to kill HR 3144 in the 2017-18 Republican-controlled Congress. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers’ bill would have overturned the excellent 2016 court decision that invalidated the federal agencies’ latest (terrible) salmon plan and it would have rolled back court-ordered spill that’s helping salmon in the near-term while we work to restore the lower Snake River by removing its four deadbeat dams.

Third, we applaud Governor Inslee and the Washington State legislature for supporting and fully funding ($750K) Lower Snake River Stakeholder Forum that will bring stakeholders together in the coming months to identify and detail the types of investments that will be needed to transition affected communities if/when these four dams are removed. This is a critical conversation that cannot occur soon enough.

Fourth, in recognition of the critical plight of salmon and steelhead populations in Idaho, Governor Little recently convened Idaho’s own Salmon Recovery Working Group – bringing together stakeholders to identify strategies and actions that will recover Idaho’s native fish populations.

Finally – and perhaps most importantly – we need to recognize and acknowledge YOU and so many others like you – that have attended meetings, made phone calls, sent emails and delivered support and pressure to our policymakers. None of the progress we’ve made would have happened without your help. Endless pressure, endlessly applied. We will never recover wild salmon, restore a free flowing lower Snake River, or protect Southern Resident orcas without your active support. Thank you for all you have done to help open a critical window of opportunity for salmon, orcas and communities. We have much hard work ahead to support the leadership to date – and to build on it in the weeks and months ahead. The plight of orca and salmon is urgent – and there’s no time to waste. Thank you!

4. ‘DAMMED TO EXTINCTION’ - NEW DOCUMENTARY HIGHLIGHTS THE PLIGHT OF SOUTHERN RESIDENT ORCAS AND THE IMPORTANCE OF RESTORING THE LOWER SNAKE RIVER AND ITS SALMON

The recently released documentary Dammed to Extinction explores the urgent plight of Southern Resident orcas and their need for many more chinook salmon. This unique whale population was listed under the Endangered Species Act in 2005 but their numbers have continued to decline since that time. Today just 76 whales survive.

The film focuses on the Northwest’s ‘dean of orca research’ Ken Balcomb and other orca experts and advocates who describe this amazing community of whales and explain how the four dams on the lower Snake River have choked off a critical orca prey (spring chinook salmon) from access to 5,000+ miles of once highly productive river and stream habitat upstream. Experts predict that restoring this river in southeast Washington State by removing its costly, deadly dams will return many hundreds of thousands of chinook salmon each year and help feed starving orcas during the critical winter months when other salmon populations are especially scarce.

SOS and our coalition partners are working with the filmmakers to show the documentary in Northwest locations and inspire audiences to act. We are planning additional screenings in the coming months. Check here for a schedule of dates and locations.

For further information:

(1) Dammed to Extinction website

(2) Seattle Times: Hunger, the Decline of Salmon Adds to the Struggle of Puget Sound’s Orca (February 2019)

(3) Orca Scientists' Letter to Southern Resident Orca Recovery Task Force re: spring chinook, spill and lower Snake River dam removal (Oct. 2018)

5. NEW CALF IN MAY MEANS “+1” FOR SOUTHERN RESIDENT ORCAS!

In late May, a new calf was spotted among the Southern Resident orca. This is the second calf to be born to the group of whale since the start of 2019!

The newest orca born to the J Pod, J56, brings the total count of Southern Resident orcas up to 76. Scientists were further thrilled when it was determined that the new calf was a girl. "If she makes it to her teens she might start producing babies of her own," Ken Balcomb from the Center for Whale Research told Q13 Fox.

Last summer, the region watched in heartbreak as J35 (Tahlequah) pushed her dead calf around for 17 days and over 1,000 miles. These two births bring great hope, as only about 50% of orca survive to see their 2nd birthday, and no calf born to the southern residents from 2016-2018 survived. As of now, the two new calves appear healthy.

With the population so low, every individual whale is critical for the orcas' survival and recovery.

For more information:

(1) Seattle Time: New orca calf reported in southern-resident J pod

(1) Seattle Times: It’s a girl: Researchers get closer look at J pod orca baby

Finally, we would like to thank the following businesses for their support and generous contribution to SOS!

As the title indicates, every June we are reminded of the famed “June hogs” – giant chinook salmon that once migrated back through the Columbia Basin at about this time of the year.  We will likely never see those runs again, but there’s still plenty of recovery to be had in one of our planet’s best salmon watersheds.

In this edition:

1. Take Action: The Salmon Solutions and Planning Act

2. Take Action: Don’t let BPA squander clean energy jobs and innovation

3. Update: Obama Plan in Court

4. Salmon Mean Business: Stories from Idaho Rivers United

1) TAKE ACTION: The Salmon Solutions and Planning Act of 2011

On June 3, Rep. Jim McDermott (D-WA) and Rep. Tom Petri (R-WI), joined by 10 additional co-sponsors from across the nation, introduced the Salmon Solutions and Planning Act (H.R. 2111) in the House of Representatives.

If passed, H.R. 2111 would provide Congress and federal agencies with up-to-date, thorough information about how best to protect and restore wild salmon and steelhead in the Columbia and Snake River Basin while also supporting local communities and saving taxpayer dollars.

From Congressman McDermott: “The time to act is now. Billions of public and private dollars have been spent on failed recovery projects that put politics over sound science.  Failing to act would further jeopardize our struggling salmon populations that provide thousands of jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars in economic benefit for the nation.  We must work together to create an innovative restoration strategy that saves this national treasure.”

TAKE ACTION: Please send a message to your representative.

Urge her/him to cosponsor H.R. 2111

Background on H.R. 2111 here.

What is the Salmon Solutions and Planning Act (H.R. 2111)? 
What exactly does H.R. 2111 do?

2) Don’t let BPA squander clean energy jobs and innovation

Last year, we faced one of the largest environmental disasters in our nation’s history: the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. In many ways, this tragedy helped renew a conversation about our energy future.

While oil was spewing into the Gulf of Mexico, the Pacific Northwest was facing an incredibly stormy spring; lots of wind and rain led to a surplus of energy from both hydroelectric dams and wind turbines. The same situation is playing out this year as well, to an even greater extent.

Rather than use last spring’s abundance of power as an opportunity to expand and diversify the Northwest’s economy and booming clean energy portfolio, the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) – which manages much of the Northwest’s energy transmission – opted instead to undertake a planning process to deal with what it calls “over-generation.”

The result is a protocol where, in times of high wind and high water, BPA shuts off wind turbines as a way to reduce surplus power on the region’s grid. By putting wind power on the chopping block, BPA is shielding dam energy at the expense of clean energy jobs.

BPA has now implemented this “over-generation” strategy and has begun shutting down wind power – a move that harms Northwest renewable energy development and the good jobs that go with it.

TAKE ACTION: Urge Secretary Chu and the U.S. Senate to change BPA’s current course.

More info on wind energy and salmon recovery:

Wild salmon and wind power can work together - Seattle Times Op-ed, Pat Ford

BPA puts brakes on wind, blames salmon - Rhett Lawrence

Congressman Ed Markey (D-MA) on BPA - Please Reconsider Proposed Wind Power Policy

3) Courtroom Update on the Obama Administration’s Salmon Plan

On May 9, a coalition of conservation and fishing groups, clean energy advocates and businesses, along with the State of Oregon and the Nez Perce Tribe, returned to court for what is expected to be the last hearing on the Obama administration’s Columbia-Snake salmon and steelhead plan. In his opening remarks, U.S. District Court Judge James Redden stated plainly: “The job is not done.”

Judge Redden is expected to decide soon if the Obama administration’s plan passes legal muster — a decision that will determine the future of imperiled salmon and steelhead in the nation’s signature salmon watershed: the Columbia-Snake River Basin. The decision also has significant implications for the integrity of the Endangered Species Act.

As the introduction of the Salmon Solutions and Planning Act (H.R. 2111) indicates, members of Congress are ready to move forward. The studies called for in H.R. 2111 can provide Congress, the Obama administration, federal agencies, and stakeholders in the Northwest with the up-to-date information needed for charting the best course to recover wild salmon and steelhead, invest in local communities, and save taxpayer and energy ratepayer dollars.

Again, please urge your representative to co-sponsor H.R. 2111 here. Media Roundup:

1) Oregonian: Third plan for Columbia Basin dams and wild salmon may still have holes, Judge James A. Redden warns 2) OPB's Ecotrope: Plaintiff: BiOp still “mushy information without any standards” 3) Great Map from the Oregonian of Salmon and Steelhead in Obama’s Plan

4) Salmon Mean Business: Stories from Idaho Rivers United

This month, our partners at Idaho Rivers United (IRU) have launched an amazing new video series: “Salmon Stories.” In this series, 11 Idahoans discuss why salmon are important to their businesses, to Idaho’s ecology, and to the region’s cultural heritage.

Check it out the videos here on IRU’s website – just click on the featured cities to view.

From Lapwai to Boise and from Salmon to Riggins, the residents of Idaho want more wild salmon in the Salmon River and more red fish in Redfish Lake. “In this long-running regional discussion about recovering salmon and steelhead, there’s a tendency to focus on politics, legal benchmarks, and spreadsheets full of numbers. In some ways, that’s unfortunate,” said IRU Assistant Policy Director Greg Stahl.

“In Salmon Stories, we return to what salmon mean to everyday Idahoans. These are voices that too often seem suffocated by the government’s slick public relations machine. They are the voices of our neighbors and friends—people whose lives are impacted by the travesty of the status-quo approach to salmon recovery.”

More from Idaho Rivers United.

We have a whopper of an update for you this month.  Okay, maybe not as big as that guy over there -> but close.  We've got reactions to President Obama's salmon plan, a great story from Daniel Jack Chasan, an important update on Washington State's efforts seeking leadership from their senators, and this month we celebrate a key member of the marine ecosystem - the orca. 

Partners in Washington state work to recover Southern Resident Killer Whales of the Puget Sound

 

1. Reactions to Obama's Salmon Plan

Communities around the Northwest and nation express disappointment with another do-nothing plan.

 

In late May, as you may recall, just one month after oil began spilling into the Gulf of Mexico — crushing wildlife and fishing communities — and on the eve of Endangered Species Day, the Obama administration announced that they are sticking with the Bush administration's failed 2008 analysis and strategy for endangered wild salmon on the Columbia and Snake rivers in the Pacific Northwest rather than employ sound science and follow the Endangered Species Act, and actually protect and restore these tenacious but critically endangered fish.

 

Since that time, folks from across the country have been expressing their clear disappointment with the Administration's failure to change the status quo for salmon, salmon-dependent communities, and American taxpayers.  Read some of the reactions below and don't forget to TAKE ACTION.

 

 

"I have deep concerns that this revised plan does not include sufficient improvements over the 2008 version to accomplish its purpose of protecting salmon," said "An issue as complex and important to our way of life as Columbia Basin salmon restoration requires more than just minor changes—it requires a renewed commitment to following best practices and the very best science. This plan falls far short of what's needed to put imperiled wild salmon and steelhead on a path toward real recovery."

- Congressman Jim McDermott (D-WA). More from Rep. McDermott.

 

 

 

"This is a disappointing decision from the administration. These fish are truly one-of-a-kind — the only salmon on the planet that travel as far and as high. Their habitat is equally unique, providing the largest, wildest, highest, coldest salmon habitat in the lower 48, and our best chance of protecting and restoring Columbia and Snake salmon in the face of climate change. We can recover salmon and restore the Snake River in a way that works for local communities and the region's economy, and we should embrace that path, not shy away from it."

- Rebecca Wodder, President of American Rivers

 

 

 

 

 

"We believed the President when he said he would follow science and strengthen the ESA, but the administration has seemingly allowed regional political pressure to trump science and law. Tomorrow is Endangered Species Day. We should be celebrating and working to protect America's endangered species, but instead, for Columbia Basin salmon, we're mourning. Even so, make no mistake — we're not done fighting to save species like wild salmon. They are simply irreplaceable."

- Brock Evans, President of the Endangered Species Coalition

 

 

 

"It's sad, but clear, that NOAA and its fisheries service have not gotten the President's message. Their actions tell us there has been no change from the disastrous policies of the past 15 years that failed to protect endangered fish while endangering fishing jobs and fishing economies. Fishing communities deserved better than this.

- Zeke Grader, the executive director of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations.

 

"The administration has chosen to wear blinders regarding the impacts of climate change on salmon. The science tells us that our rivers and lakes are warming. This administration had an opportunity to confront this problem and to protect salmon from the impacts from climate change. Instead it elected to ignore the impacts and defend a discredited strategy written by the previous administration."

- John Kostyack, the executive director of the National Wildlife Federation's Wildlife Conservation and Global Warming program.

 

 

New coalition seeks broad involvement, political leadership to protect salmon and orcas.

National Geographic launches new interactive website, highlights the incredible migration of the one-of-a-kind Snake River salmon.

The wild salmon and steelhead of the Snake River Basin are an incredible story of nature that began over 100 million years ago. For millennia, these salmon and steelhead have fulfilled the challenge of climbing higher and higher to return to their alpine homes to spawn, making them the mightiest of all salmon. Their offspring have become stronger, more determined, and more Olympian with each generation.

Business and community leaders in Washington State make public call for leadership in Snake River salmon crisis

 

Yesterday, over 120 business owners and community leaders in western Washington State wrote to U.S. Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell urging their leadership in solving the Northwest salmon crisis. The open letter to the senators also appears as a full-page ad in today's Puget Sound-based weekly - the Stranger.

 

The letter signers include over 50 businesses, 40 community leaders, 20 organizations, and several prominent local scientists.
Check out more on the letter at Working Snake River for Washington

 

Latest News - New Orca Calf Identified in Puget Sound! From the Kitsap Sun: "A new orca calf has been born in K pod, one of the three groups of killer whales that frequent the Salish Sea and Puget Sound, experts say.  The young calf, designated K-43, was spotted Tuesday swimming with K-12, presumed to be the mother, according to biologists with the Center for Whale Research.  All three groups are beginning to settle in for a summer of fishing in and around the islands. J pod and portions of L pod have already arrived, but both pods have been coming and going, apparently not finding many chinook salmon, experts say." Read more from the Kitsap Sun.
Special Note:  Ken Balcomb from the Center for Whale Research and the folks at Working Snake River for Washington asked us to relay a very important message: this baby will not have future without more chinook salmon. Salmon make up the majority of their diet and they are good at finding and catching them; but, what happens if salmon populations continue to decline? As Ken makes plain: "No salmon = no orcas."

More information on Working Snake River for Washington's Orca project.

IN THIS ISSUE:
1. Conservation and business advocates oppose new legislation that would overturn court decision and push imperiled wild salmon populations closer to extinction

2. University of Washington Study: Lack of salmon increasing orca reproductive problems

3. Columbia River Treaty: New economic analysis confirms the Columbia River Basin's immense natural capital value

4. New science webinar: Born to be wild - How science can inform recovery of Idaho salmon and steelhead

5. Spokane churches and Tribal members gather on the banks of the Lower Snake River

6. Patagonia focuses Northwest events this summer on campaign to “Free the Snake!”

7. Save the Date: 3rd Annual "Free the Snake!" Rally on the river - September 8 and 9, 2017

1. Conservation and business advocates oppose legislation that would overturn court decision and push imperiled wild salmon populations closer to extinction

Business and conservation leaders from across the Pacific Northwest announced their strong opposition to a U.S. House bill that would overturn a decision by the U.S. District Court in Portland finding that the federal government is not doing enough to rebuild endangered salmon and steelhead populations. The legislation would rubberstamp the failed recovery efforts of the federal government, which has spent more than $10 billion without recovering a single endangered salmon population.



On June 29, Pacific Northwest Reps. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05), Jaime Herrera Beutler (WA-03), Dan Newhouse (WA-04), Kurt Schrader (OR-05), and Greg Walden (OR-02) introduced legislation that seeks to block a federal court order requiring increased protections of threatened and endangered salmon in the Columbia and Snake Rivers.  The bill is aimed at an April decision by U.S. District Court Judge Michael Simon that requires federal, state and tribal fisheries experts to work together to improve conditions in the Columbia and Snake Rivers for baby salmon that migrate to the ocean in the Spring. The Court’s Order would take effect in April, 2018.

In the meantime, state, federal and tribal fisheries experts have been working together this spring and summer to reach an agreement on the details of dam operations under the Court’s Order.  McMorris-Rodgers' new bill would stifle this cooperation and harm salmon survival and recovery efforts.
 
The bill is also aimed at the May 2016 decision by the Court that rejected the federal government’s most recent plan to protect endangered wild salmon and steelhead in the Columbia-Snake River Basin. Last year's decision was the fifth consecutive plan deemed illegal by three different judges across two decades. As the Court observed in that decision:
 
"For more than 20 years . . . federal agencies have . . . continued to focus essentially on the same approach to saving the listed species—hydro-mitigation efforts that minimize the effect on hydropower generation [and] focus on habitat restoration. These efforts have already cost billions of dollars, yet they are failing."

This bill, if it becomes law, would lock in the failed, illegal and costly 2014 Federal Salmon Plan for the Columbia/Snake Rivers until 2022 and prohibit any use of federal funds to study (!) the costs, benefits and potential tradeoffs associated with lower Snake River dam removal. In other words, it takes a head-in-the-sand approach to policymaking, overturning the judicial branch and increasing the likelihood of salmon extinctions and orca deaths in the years ahead. This divisive bill will lead to further litigation, further costs for regional businesses and energy consumers, and increased uncertainty about the future.

See the full press release from SOS and its partners here.

TAKE ACTION: If you live in the Pacific Northwest states, please send a letter/make a phone call to your Congressional member: express your strong opposition to this harmful, costly, divisive bill. If your Member of Congress sponsored this bill (McMorris-Rodgers, Newhouse, Herrera-Beutler in WA, Walden and Schrader in OR) express your strong displeasure. If your Northwest Member of Congress (WA, ID, OR) did not join this bill, please reach out and thank them!

KUOW: New Federal Effort Tries To 'Save Our Dams' Along Snake River

2. University of Washington Study: Lack of salmon causing orca reproductive problems

A new study by Dr. Sam Wasser, Director of the University of Washington's Center for Conservation Biology, finds that the lack of chinook salmon is a primary cause of the endangered Southern Resident Orcas' failure to rebuild their population. The study measured hormone levels collected in orca scat and found that pregnant nutritionally stressed females were far more likely to lose their calves before or very soon after birth. 31 percent of pregnant females successfully birthed calves while 69 percent were lost. Scientists also indicate that the number of lost calves is likely higher due to difficulties in detecting pregnancy.

In the Pacific Northwest, chinook salmon populations have plummeted by more than 90 percent in recent decades due largely to the destruction of and inaccessibility to healthy freshwater habitat in the Columbia-Snake River Basin and across the West Coast. Southern Resident Orcas rely on primarily on chinook salmon to meet their nutritional needs and are struggling today to find adequate prey to survive and increase their critically low numbers. Today just 78 individual whales remain; NOAA listed this whale population as endangered in 2006. In 2015, NOAA included the Southern Residents as one of eight "species in the spotlight" - species highly likely to go extinct in the very near future without immediate help/action.

Removing four federal dams and restoring a freely-flowing lower Snake River in southeast Washington State is our best opportunity to restore the large numbers of chinook salmon that these orca need to survive and recover. Although dam removal is not a silver bullet for either endangered Snake River salmon or Southern Resident orcas, it is very difficult for experts to see how these populations avoid extinction and recover while these high-cost, low-value dams remain in place.

Seattle Times: A new study nails dearth of chinook salmon as the primary cause of the endangered resident orca whale’s failure to rebound(June 28, 2017)

KUOW: Study: Orcas Lose Two-Thirds Of Their Pregnancies(June 29, 2017)

Science Daily: High pregnancy failure, nutritional stress in southern resident killer whales, study shows(June 30, 2017)

3. New Economic Analysis: The Columbia River Basin Holds Immense Natural Capital Value

A new study from Tacoma (WA) based Earth Economics shows that the Columbia River Basin’s natural capital provides $198 billion in value annually, in food, water, flood risk reduction, recreation, habitat, aesthetic and other benefits. At 258,000 square miles, the Columbia River Basin is the foundation for communities, wildlife and economic activity from the mouth of the river to Wyoming, from British Columbia to Utah encompassing most of Oregon, Washington and Idaho. Fifteen Columbia Basin Tribes and several non-governmental organizations including the Save Our wild Salmon Coalition contributed to and supported the development of this report.

The report also shows that modernizing the U.S. - Canada Columbia River Treaty by improving dam management and increasing water flows in low water years would greatly enhance the basin’s natural capital value by enhancing salmon, steelhead and other valuable fish runs.  A modest 10% increase in ecosystem-based function would add $19 billion per year to the basin’s value. The report’s release comes at a critical time for the renegotiation of the Columbia River Treaty. Both the United States and Canada have been preparing to begin talks to modernize the Treaty. Adding ecosystem-based function - the health of the river - as a new Treaty purpose is a top priority of Columbia Basin Tribes and conservation, fishing and faith groups in the United States.

"This report comes at a time when the region is poised to take a historic step to modernize the Columbia River Treaty," stated Jaime A. Pinkham, Executive Director for the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission. "There is vast potential for natural capital remaining in the Columbia River system. These findings tell negotiators that incorporating ecosystem based function (health of the river) into the Treaty will broaden and expand the economic benefits that can co-exist with flood control and energy production. We cannot afford to miss this opportunity.”

View the press release from Columbia Basin Tribes and Conservation Organizations here.

Download a brochure and the full report.

4. New science webinar available online: Born to be wild: How science can inform recovery of Idaho salmon and steelhead (June 2017)

Two of the Northwest’s most respected salmon biologists teamed up recently to give an online presentation sharing their expertise and perspective on the challenges and opportunities facing endangered wild salmon and steelhead that call the Snake River Basin home. Dr. Rick Williams and Dr. Russ Thurow are both top-notch scientists and excellent communicators. They recently teamed up at the USFS Research Center in Boise to discuss what we know about Snake River wild salmon and steelhead and why despite thousands of miles of excellent river and stream habitat in the wilderness and wild lands of central Idaho, they remain at risk of extinction. Hint: there are four big problems downstream.

Dr. Williams provides an overview of the challenges wild salmon and steelhead face in the Columbia/Snake Basin; Dr. Thurow focuses in especially to the salmon and their circumstances in central Idaho where he has conducted field research every year for decades. Their 1-hour joint presentation online was recorded and can now be viewed online. It includes the Q&A session. This is a very informative presentation by two of the best in the field. Don’t miss it!

5. Spokane churches and Tribal members gather on the banks of the lower Snake

On June 10, three Spokane churches--Salem Lutheran, St. Mark’s Lutheran, and St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral visited the lower Snake River to discuss, salmon, dams, and treaty rights with members of Nimiipuu Protecting the Environment, a Nez Perce tribal conservation organization.  They met at Wawawai, once a gathering place for the tribes before it became an orchard town.  Wawawai now sits underwater as a result of nearby Lower Granite Dam. This special place and its history served as the backdrop for the first of what will hopefully prove to be many interfaith events focused on the restoration of wild salmon.

Judeo-Christian scriptures regularly refer to the interconnectedness and life-giving properties of all the waters of the Earth, from Genesis to Christ’s baptism in the Jordan. The Pacific Northwest is also defined by its water. Citizens and businesses utilize one of the world’s great waterways, the Columbia and Snake rivers, for recreation, sustenance and industry.

Members of the Inland Northwest Christian community joined leaders of Nimiipuu Protecting the Environment to confront a difficult past and look ahead to the future. Attendees recognized the fact that not so long ago Jesuit priests burned Kalispel canoes, Presbyterian missionaries forced a sedentary lifestyle upon the Nez Perce, and that countless others promoted construction of dams that have devastated the salmon cultures of local tribes. We cannot undo many of these things, and we must not forget them.

The day was marked by excellent weather, with time generously given to all in attendance to introduce themselves, ask questions, and be heard. A portion of the group walked up the hillside to catch a glimpse of Lower Granite Dam while exploring some of the economic issues surrounding the retention and removal of the four Lower Snake Dams. Bryan Jones, a farmer out of Dusty, Washington, joined to share his perspective on this set of issues for the farming community. Nez Perce Tribal members Elliot Moffett and Gary Dorr discussed treaty law and the efforts of Nimiipuu Protecting the Environment to uphold them.

Stay tuned for additional interfaith events sponsored by SOS member organization Friends of the Clearwater, and a Loaves and Fishesevent in Spokane in the Fall to celebrate and hear the concerns of the food producers of our region.

Read SOS Intern Jacob Schmidt’s more detailed blog post about this June 10 gathering here.

6. Patagonia focuses Northwest events on campaign to “Free the Snake!”

A. Patagonia Portland celebrates its new store with “Free the Snake!” Reception: Patagonia continues its amazing leadership to restore the lower Snake and its endangered salmon and steelhead by hosting a reception at its newly relocated store in downtown Portland. On June 22, with Always With Honor artwork featured prominently on its 10-foot windows, nearly 100 people gathered with staff and supporters of Patagonia, Nimiipuu Protecting the Environment and Save Our wild Salmon for food and refreshments, speakers and multimedia. The evening began with Tribal music by the Four Directions, by Nez Perce Harold Paul, his daughter Harmony, and fellow drummer Richard. Mr. Paul has been drumming and singing for nearly 40 years, and teaching his craft for 25. Video presentations and speakers from Patagonia, Nimiipuu Protecting the Environment and SOS followed their performance.

B. Patagonia (Seattle) to Celebrate 30 years in Seattle with a party and benefit for SOS - July 13!
On Thursday, July 13 – 7 to 10 pm - Patagonia will celebrate 30 years in Seattle (2100 First Ave in Belltown), and SOS is honored to join the party! We’ll be there with materials, new t-shirts, bumperstickers, action items and information. Proceeds from the party will benefit our work to restore a freely-flowing lower Snake River and its endangered salmon and steelhead. All are welcome. Hope to see you there – to celebrate an amazing, visionary company - it's sure to be a hoot!

7. Save the Date: 3rd Annual Flotilla and Rally to Free the Snake!
Mark your calendars! September 8 and 9, 2017, for the 3rd Annual “Free the Snake!” Rally and Recreational Flotilla. Camping at Chief Timothy State Park on the banks of the lower Snake River (well – the banks of the reservoir that - for now - has buried the river). It’s just 15 minutes outside of Clarkston (WA) in the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley straddling the ID-WA border.

This year we’re featuring speakers and live music on Friday in the late afternoon/evening. We’ll launch the Flotilla on Saturday morning at 10 am. Spread the word, bring your friends and family, bring a boat (or not – we’ll try to find you a spot in a boat, or you can stay on shore and welcome us on our return).

Mark your calendar, stay tuned for additional details, and if you have any questions in the meantime: please contact Sam Mace at sam@wildsalmon.org

IN THIS ISSUE:

1.    Wild salmon and steelhead have their day in court!

2.   Lower Snake barging continues to decline

3.    National Geographic Blog: Hungry, Endangered Orca and Costly, Out-dated Dams

4.    Columbia River Treaty – State Department commits to new third purpose of ‘ecosystem function’

5.    "Record" Salmon Returns in 2015? Really? SOS Corrects the Record

6.    SOS and allies tell NOAA "NO" ‘de-listing’ of Snake River Fall Chinook

7.    DONATE to SOS in July – Win Excellent Books in our Summer Raffle!

8.    SOS’ Rose Revival Wine Reception 2015 – A Huge Success!

-- DONATE TO SOS IN JULY – ENTER OUR RAFFLE (SEE ITEM #7 BELOW) --

I. Salmon have their day in court!

On Tuesday June 23, oral arguments took place in U.S. federal court in Portland Oregon over the federal agencies’ latest (and still inadequate and illegal) Federal Plan for endangered Columbia Basin wild salmon and steelhead. The plaintiffs (salmon, fishing, and clean energy advocates -- with the State of Oregon and Nez Perce Tribe) faced off against the defendants (federal agencies) and their allies for an all-day hearing. The courtroom was packed - with an overflow room that held as many 35 people at times.

SOS and salmon and fishing advocates from across the region were well represented in the courtroom - including representatives and members of Idaho Rivers United, Idaho Wildlife Federation, Association of Northwest Steelheaders, Northwest Sportfishing Industry Association, Sierra Club, Salmon For All, and others. Lots of federal and state agency folk were in attendance, and of course, the river industrialists too.

Plaintiffs argued in the morning and defendants followed in the afternoon. The day closed with an hour of rebuttals by both sides and the judge adjourned the hearing at 5 pm. This was the first time that parties to the litigation came before Judge Michael Simon. He was very knowledgeable, very engaged in the discussions and argumentation, and well prepared. He probed both sides with insightful and incisive questions. The plaintiffs’ attorneys did an excellent job representing the interests of our iconic fish and those who love and rely on healthy runs of wild salmon and steelhead. Our lawyers focused on the plan's many shortcomings, including:

•    its flawed jeopardy standard – the feds keep trying to lower the bar on what salmon recovery requires.
•    its failure to address climate impacts (there are no new climate actions in this plan; instead they double-count other actions and assert that they’ll mitigate climate impacts too).
•    its failure to meet the needs of endangered, hungry, and chinook-reliant Southern Resident orcas.
•    the continuing inability to demonstrate the benefits of its habitat restoration actions.
•    the critical importance of the “Smolt-To-Adult Return ratio” (and the plan’s failure to assess each stage of the salmon life cycle, rather than just one segment of it).
•    its failure to protect salmon’s Critical Habitat in the mainstem Columbia and Snake rivers.

At the end of the day, the Court did not indicate when we might expect a ruling. The Judge did state clearly that he was still undecided, and that he had lots of reading, studying and thinking yet to do before he issues an opinion. Huge kudos to our attorneys and allies – State of Oregon and Nez Perce Tribe - for a job well done – and to everyone that came to support them and our salmon and rivers in court!

Links to media coverage:
(1) AP: Columbia River Basin plan to restore fish runs faces legal challenge (June 21)
(2) OPB Radio: New Judge To Hear Arguments On Columbia River Dams And Salmon (June 22)
(3) AP: Groups clash in court over Columbia River Basin salmon plan (June 23)

II. Lower Snake barging continues to decline as shippers look towards rail, truck.

Shipping on the lower Snake waterway took yet another steep decline earlier this year as the last container shipping company pulled out of Port of Portland.   Increasingly unable to compete with the Puget Sound ports, Portland has struggled for a number of years to keep containers moving through its port.  Read more here.

The loss of container shipping at Port of Portland shut down all container river traffic at Port of Lewiston and left farmers scrambling for other options.  While wheat can travel bulk in barges, garbanzos, lentils and peas require containers. The Port of Lewiston cut its already small staff in half and farmers find themselves looking increasingly to rail and truck. The local newspaper dubbed it the "Port to Nowhere."

In the past several years rail has become more competitive, with shippers investing in new rail facilities to handle grain and other products.  

And some of these rail investments are being developed on the banks of the river.  Last year a fertilizer company built an $11 million facility to bring product in by rail at the Port of Wilma on the lower Snake and another one just came on line. Even at the river, shippers are turning toward rail.  Read more here.

With the right investments, rail offers several advantages over barging.  The most obvious plus is that railroads can get goods to Puget Sound ports while the lower Snake River can’t.  And with the lower Snake River waterway aging, maintenance issues and lock closures have made it a less reliable option.  The waterway has been closed for months at a time in recent years for lock repairs; another closure is planned in the coming year.  

Dam proponents try to portray the “Columbia-Snake waterway” as critical to the Northwest economy.  But only the lower Columbia River waterway, from Pasco (WA) downstream to Portland and the Pacific, carries significant river traffic today.  In fact, 96 percent of all goods that travel on the so-called “Columbia-Snake waterway” never see the lower Snake, which handles the remaining 4 percent.   By the Corps of Engineers’ own standards the lower Snake qualifies as a “negligible-use waterway," their lowest usage category.

The lower Snake still carries bulk wheat down to Portland as well as other products.   But many shippers view the loss of container shipping at the Port of Portland as writing on the wall to be ignored at their peril.  As one shipper said at a recent Lewiston meeting, “The Port of Portland…is drying up.  It’s run its course.”

With shipping from the Port of Lewiston shut down and the other river ports investing in rail, its well-past time to call the question on the lower Snake waterway and dams.   Rather than continue sinking precious taxpayer dollars into shoring up an aging and increasingly obsolete barge corridor, isn’t it time to focus on the significant maintinenance and repairs needed on the far more active and valuable lower Columbia waterway?  Would farmers, shippers and the region be better served by investing scarce dollars in our rail system? 

The region is past-due for an honest conversation about what farmers, shippers, and salmon really need to thrive.  It’s not four aging dams on the lower Snake.

III. The “Dean of Southern Resident Orcas” explains his support for lower Snake River dam removal.
Kenneth Balcomb III is the founder and Senior Researcher for the Center for Whale Research based on Friday Harbor. He has been researching the Southern Resident Killer Whales for nearly 40 years, and is considered the world’s foremost expert on this Chinook-reliant population. More than anybody else on the planet, he has observed and documented their ups and downs – including formal listing as "endangered" under the federal Endangered Species Act in 2005. Since then, their population has continued to decline. Research, however, has recently confirmed three important facts that we must act upon in order to protect and then restore these truly amazing marine mammals. First, they are very often “nutritionally stressed” – they need more food. Two, their main food is Chinook salmon. Three, they spend lots of time feeding on salmon at the mouth of the Columbia-Snake River system.

Mr. Balcomb recently traveled into the Columbia Basin – to take a first hand look at its communities, landscape and dams. This blog, posted on the National Geographic website and introduced by Dr. Carl Safina, was inspired by that recent trip.

As we already know, the Columbia Basin was once a tremendous source of Chinook for the SRKWs, though its salmon populations have declined precipitously in recent decades. These declines, of course, have impacted not only the salmon, fishing communities, and the health of the freshwater ecology; it is also the leading cause of decline for SRKWs who depend on Chinook for survival and reproduction. Rebuilding abundant chinook populations in the Columbia Basin is essential to protecting the SRKW population from extinction.

IV. U.S. State Department affirms its support for modernizing the U.S.- Canada Columbia River Treaty with a new third purpose: ecological health
Northwest conservation groups and fishing communities celebrated seeing key progress on one of its top priorities for a 21st Century Columbia River Treaty with the U.S. State Department’s recent announcement to include ‘ecosystem function’ in its negotiation position as it prepares to negotiate an updated Treaty with Canada.   The State Department’s decision came in a May 20 letter received by members of the Northwest Congressional delegation, and is based on 'Regional Recommendation' issued in December 2013 by the Bonneville Power Administration and the Army Corps of Engineers.

The State Department letter says it has “decided to include flood risk mitigation, ecosystem-based function, and hydropower generation interests in the draft U.S. negotiating position.  We hope to approach Canada soon to being discussions on modernization of the Treaty.” It emphasizes that modernizing the river treaty is a priority for the nation:  “The Administration recognizes the significant economic and cultural role the Columbia River plays in the lives of your constituents in the Pacific Northwest, including numerous communities in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana.  We assure you that the future of the Treaty is a priority, and internal deliberations are gaining momentum.”

With glaciers melting in the headwaters and water temperatures rising in the lower Columbia River, climate change is already threatening the river and fisheries that depend on the river.  Adding ‘ecosystem function’ as a third treaty purpose co-equal with hydropower and flood risk management would encourage both Canada and the United States to co-manage the Columbia River as a single river, restore salmon to areas now blocked by dams, and reconnect the river with floodplains.   



"There is solid, broad-based support among Northwest states, Tribes, businesses and citizens to promptly begin formal talks with Canada to modernize the half-century-old Columbia River Treaty for tomorrow's Northwest,” said Pat Ford, representing Save Our wild Salmon. 



The basis for the State Department’s decision originates with the “Regional  Recommendation for the Future of the Columbia River Treaty after 2024,” issued in December 2013. That recommendation includes ‘ecosystem function’ as a new purpose of an updated treaty, co-equal to hydropower and flood control -- a feature that will make the Treaty a model of international water management. 

"The Regional Recommendation gives the Obama Administration a unique opportunity to improve the health of an iconic international river. The Northwest Congressional Delegation, and in particular, Senators Murray and Wyden, are to be commended for recognizing the need to seize the moment,” said Greg Haller, Conservation Director for the Pacific Rivers Council. 



All four Northwest states, 15 Columbia Basin tribes, fishermen and environmentalists support that recommendation.  Religious leaders have joined in support of Tribes and First Nations, based on the Columbia River Pastoral Letter. 

“Canada and the United States together have stewardship and justice responsibilities to manage the river as a single ecologic system,” said John Osborn, a Spokane physician and a coordinator of the Ethics & Treaty Project. 

For more on SOS’ Columbia River Treaty Program, go here.

Links to further information:
(1) Department of State Letter to Congress re: Ecosystem Health
(2) Press release: Columbia River Treaty:  State Department to include Ecosystem Function in negotiating position
(3) Wenatchee World: Feds - Columbia River Treaty's future is a 'priority'
(4) McClatchy News Bureau: U.S. plans to focus on environment in Columbia River talks

V. “Record Returns” in 2015? Really? SOS releases an updated reporton adult salmon returns to the Columbia and Snake Rivers.
If you had only been allowed to read Northwest federal agency press releases since, say, the year 2000, you would have concluded long ago that it was “Mission Accomplished” for salmon recovery in the Columbia and Snake Rivers. According to the agencies’ talking points, we’ve been enjoying record returns of Columbia Basin salmon and steelhead annually for years and our problems have been solved. The truth, unfortunately, is not so rosy.

To be fair, we have achieved some successes in the last decade. Favorable ocean conditions, abundant snowpack which then lead to abundant spring and summer flows, and court-won spill have provided the types of conditions for salmon to survive and in some cases thrive. The Columbia River Fall Chinook and Sockeye salmon have been returning recently in truly impressive numbers – though neither of these populations are listed as endangered nor been the focus of the federal agencies’ recovery efforts. Many ESA-listed stocks, however, have not fared so well. All thirteen ESA-listed stocks remain far from recovery and at continued risk of extinction. Mother Nature and court-ordered spill have slowed their declines and in some cases helped to modestly boost their numbers. But much more is needed.

It is also important to note that snowpack and ocean conditions are beyond our control and court-ordered spill has been, well, ordered by the court - over the opposition of the federal agencies. It will take additional measures in the river – like expanded spill and lower Snake River dam removal – to restore our imperiled, irreplaceable, iconic fish.

We assembled this 6-panel factsheet to correct the record and misimpressions people might have based on the agencies’ tireless media machines. This factsheet leans heavily on actual data to highlight the “whats” and “whys” of some recent successes and, importantly, also spotlights where more is needed. The new SOS factsheet: The Salmon Communities’ View – the status of wild salmon and steelhead populations in the Columbia and Snake River Basin can be downloaded here. You can also request a hardcopy by emailing me at joseph@wildsalmon.org. (We have a limited number of copies, available while supplies last!)

VI. SOS and allies to NOAA: "Now is not the time to ‘de-list’ Snake River Fall Chinook"

In response to a de-listing petition from an Alaskan commercial fishing group calling themselves the “Chinook Futures Coalition", NOAA Fisheries recently asked for public comment on whether Snake River Fall Chinook should continue to be protected under the Endangered Species Act.   

SOS  fishing businesses, sportsmen groups and conservation organizations submitted their letter to NOAA Fisheries urging them to maintain protections for these long-imperiled salmon.  Read the letter here. The petition for delisting argued that numbers of Snake River fall Chinook have increased enough to reduce protections.  Because our fall Chinook migrate up to Alaska and intermingle with Alaskan salmon, fisheries to the north are affected by protections for these Snake River Falls.  

While Snake River Fall Chinook have returned in higher numbers in recent years, they are nowhere close to recovery.  The majority of returning salmon are hatchery fish and wild stocks remain imperiled.   And because Fall Chinook mostly spawn in the mainstem of the Snake River, much of their habitat remains impacted by the dams. Finally, a single Major Population Group (MPG) is insufficient for meeting the criteria for de-listing under the Endangered Species Act.

The letter noted that while the signers also have the goal of restoring all stocks of Columbia Basin salmon to abundant, fishable numbers, Snake River Fall Chinook still have a long ways to go towards recovery.

VII. Donate to SOS in July – and you’re eligible for our 4-book raffle.
Anyone who makes a donation of any size during the month of July will be entered in a raffle – to be held in early August. We are awarding four gifts: two copies of Dr. David Montgomery’s King of Fish and two copies of Never Give Up on the Sagebrush Sea – stories from an Idaho native – by Richard Howard. All books are signed by the authors.

King of Fish documents the trials and tribulations of salmon and their rivers – starting in Europe and then traveling across North America – over the last 500 years. Dr. Montgomery spends a lot of time in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska – the last strongholds for wild salmon – and offers his recommendations for what we’ll need to do to keep salmon coming back - including for example, the removal of the lower Snake River dams!

Never Give Up is a engaging collection of stories and memoirs by Richard Howard - an anthropologist and career wildlife biologist who's lived much of his life in Idaho. This book gives a wonderful flavor of the beauty of Idaho’s wild lands, conservation battles, and its people. Never Give Up also spends more than a little time on Idaho’s wild salmon and what needs to be done to bring them home.

Make your donation here.Thank you in advance for your generosity and support!

VIII. SOS’ Rose’ Revival at Ray’s Boathouse  - another big success!
Thanks to everyone who joined us at Ray’s Boathouse in mid-June to sample Washington’s excellent rose’ and white wines. We had another sellout crowd – the wines and the food (prepared by Ray’s) and the company were all excellent!

Thanks to everyone’s generosity, we raised over $6,000 this year, enjoyed delicious wine and food and had a ton of fun! Our most successful Revival yet!

A big shout-out to the wonderful businesses that support SOS and helped make this event such a success:
Plauche and Carr, LLC
Emerald Water Anglers
Seattle Wine Events
Ray’s Boathouse
Alchemy Bistro and Winebar (Port Townsend)
Blueacre Seafood restaurant (Seattle)
Lark restaurant (Seattle)
Taylor Shellfish
Seafood Producers Cooperative, and
Becky Selengut for her donation of two beautiful cookbooks

And finally - a huge thanks to our four amazing SOS volunteers: Amy Bogaard, Amy Grondin, Kristie Miller, and Sarah Gardener - we could not have done it without you!

1. The Science -In the post-Bush, post-Larry Craig era, Columbia-Snake River salmon science is still being subverted by cynical political forces. 

2. The Law -Salmon and fishing advocates file in federal court.

3. Tar Sands Update -Though temporary, salmon and community advocates score a victory.

4. One-of-a-Kind Project Update - Bringing The Story of Snake River Salmon Home.

1. Science Update

In the post-Bush, post-Larry Craig era, Columbia-Snake River salmon science is still being subverted by cynical political forces.

Just as many people we know are getting ready to go back to school, we thought that it appropriate to send you a couple of recent articles about the importance of "getting it right" - you know - "the facts."

In last Sunday's Oregonian, author Steven Hawley writes about what he found in Obama Administration documentsuncovered by his Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. The documents implicate Senators Murray and Cantwell and Secretary of Commerce (and former WA governor) Gary Locke in severely limiting the scope of the Obama Administration's review of the 2008 Bush Salmon Plan (which it eventually adopted as its own) by minimizing public participation and media interactions, and focusing discussions instead with agencies and governments on issues that support the Bush Plan.

As you may remember, a month ago the Los Angeles Times printed a great article highlighting the growing number of scientists who are increasingly frustrated by the Obama Administration's failure to live up to the President's promises about transparency in decision-making and a commitment to science, including reports from federal salmon scientists being pressured to downplay the role of dams in killing endangered Columbia-Snake River salmon.

Then came Dan Chasan's article in Crosscut. It drilled into more of the specific details about salmon scientists being pressured by the Northwest politicians and political appointees within the Obama Administration.

Taken together, these three pieces tell a troubling story and demand calls anew for change to finally arrive for Pacific Northwest salmon and fishing communities.

Oregonian: Columbia salmon policy still driven by ideology, not science. Aug 22.

Crosscut: Obama, like Bush, seems to be stifling salmon science. August 12.

LA Times: Scientists expected Obama administration to be friendlier. July 10.

2) Legal Update

Salmon and fishing advocates file in federal court.

Last week, salmon and fishing advocates (plaintiffs) filed their complaint specifying exactly how the plan fails endangered salmon and steelhead (and endangered Puget Sound orcas that rely on salmon to survive), and next week, as Steve Hawley says in his op-ed, the federal government (defendants) will deliver their official record to the judge and plaintiffs. Legal proceedings will occur throughout the fall, and a decision by Judge Redden (thumbs up or thumbs down on the Obama Plan) is expected in Winter 2011.

Soon after the 2008-Bush-Plan-turned-2010-Obama-Plan was officially delivered to U.S. District Court Judge James Redden in May of this year, salmon and fishing advocates challenged the plan as inadequate, insufficient and illegal.

Of course, this little issue of the science and its integrity is pretty central to how this plan fares in court. Good science is essential, of course, to knowing how to protect a species from extinction. These recent articles suggest that - as we have been saying for a long time - the science behind this plan has been compromised as a result of relentless political pressure to protect the status quo rather than protect Pacific salmon and steelhead from extinction, comply with the law, and meet the needs of the people.

(3) Tar Sands Update

Salmon and community advocates score temporary victory

As you might recall, the mighty Columbia-Snake watershed is facing another huge challenge. It comes in two parts - development of the Canadian oil sands beneath the boreal forests of northern Alberta, and Exxon's surprise plan to use the Columbia and Snake Rivers, plus Idaho and Montana highways, to ship huge mining machinery to those oil sands.Last week an Idaho judge granted three Idaho businesspeople a temporary restraining order that stops for now the first of 230 shipments by ConocoPhillips and Exxon of massive mining equipment up the Columbia and Snake Rivers, up narrow Highway 12 along the Wild and Scenic Lochsa River, then through Montana.Then, just yesterday (August 24th) Judge Bradbury revoked special permits issued by the state to allow ConocoPhillips to ship four oversized loads of oil refinery equipment along a highway that follows a winding, federally protected river corridor in northern Idaho. With this news, salmon and community advocates breathe a huge sigh of relief but the fight forges on as Exxon, ConocoPhillips, and others will continue pushing for a disastrous transportation corridor to a ecologic mess that is the Alberta Tar Sands.

Read Pat's full statement and learn more about this emerging threat.

4) One-of-a-Kind project update:

Bringing the story of Snake River salmon home

Over the last several weeks, a team of adventurers from Save Our Wild Salmon, Epicocity Films, and the International League of Conservation Photographers has made two trips into the wild country of the Snake River basin. They've waded in the water with sockeye just released into Redfish Lake, crouched on the bank of Marsh Creek watching wild chinook salmon spawning and spent time with the people on the ground in Idaho working so hard to save these fish from extinction.

Here are just a few of their recent stories and amazing images:

Bringing The Story of Snake River Salmon Home

Giving Sockeye A River to Run

Proud To Be An American? Save Salmon.

What is Tripods in the Mud?

Please stay tuned and watch for more images and video over the coming months.

1. FULL SPILL AHEAD! - Good news for salmon, steelhead and fishing communities: Obama Administration finally listens to scientists and agrees to spill water for salmon.

2. Orcas and Salmon: Shafted Again? - Puget Sound community members and orca advocates are again callng for leadership from President Obama, Senators Murray and Cantwell.

3. Last Chance: Hot Pants - Cool Rivers -Mountain Khakis / SOS photo contest: send us a photo of your favorite river for your chance to win some great gear!

1. FULL SPILL AHEAD!- Good news for salmon, steelhead and fishing communities: Obama Administration finally listens to scientists and agrees to spill water for salmon.

Faced with overwhelming scientific opposition (from independent, federal, state, and Tribal fisheries biologists) as well as public opposition (from at least half a dozen regional newspaper editorials) to its plan to eliminate spilling water over federal dams on the Snake River during a key portion of the 2010 salmon migration, the Obama Administration announced that it will - for now, at least - drop its proposal and continue spilling water throughout the spring.  Spilling water over dams means that more juvenile salmon and steelhead will arrive safely and healthy at the Pacific Ocean, and that boosts future adult salmon returns.

This reversal by the Obama administration represents a major victory for salmon, fishermen, and science!Despite the Administration’s change of plans regarding spill this spring, serious questions remain about its overall salmon policy, and its commitment to science and the health of our fishing communities. While federal agencies have agreed to continue spill for now, they reserved the right to roll it back at any time during the balance of the spring migration. Nor have they yet committed to summer spill (June-August). We’ll be keeping a close eye on what happens going forward. However, the region may face further clashes with the Administration over spill levels during the migration this spring and summer.Up Next: Spill, Science & Stakeholders – A Test for the Final Salmon Plan Due in May.

The Obama administration’s next big step for Northwest salmon will come on or around May 20 when it is expected to deliver its revised Columbia/Snake federal salmon plan (or biological opinion) to U.S. District Judge James Redden. Unfortunately, despite the judge’s numerous requests, there is little evidence to suggest that this amended plan will be any different substantively from original 2008 federal salmon plan.  As you may recall, the role of science and transparency – hallmark promises of the President - in the development and revision of this salmon plan has been – and remains - completely insufficient.  More on the "science" of Obama's plan.

This revised plan can help meet the test of science and transparency, as well as do what the law requires, by taking at least the following steps:

•    Spill

 End the costly and unnecessary annual arguments over whether “to spill or not to spill?” The science is clear - spill improves survival for fish that migrate in the river and more spill would be even better.  The federal agencies should commit to a full spill program  -- and increase spill too -- during each and every salmon migration for the ten-year duration of this plan.

•    Climate change

 Heed Judge Redden’s specific call for a thorough and up-to-date climate change analysis. The current salmon plan must be changed so that it no longer uses the past twenty years as a predictor of the next twenty years – the latest science tells us that this backward-glance approach simply doesn’t work. River and ocean temperatures are already rising.  As the climate continues to change, we will need to do even more to increase river flows, restore habitat, and help salmon survive their migration to and from the ocean.  The revised plan must take concrete actions to address this reality, not pretend it doesn’t exist.

•    Plan NOW for Lower Snake River dam removal

The science is clear that dam removal is the surest and best option to protect Snake River salmon.  The new plan should require the federal agencies to move forward with removal of the four lower Snake River dams by 2015, including initiating immediate, comprehensive studies to understand and prepare for dam removal.  If the salmon show us that this action is unnecessary, the actual removal can be stopped, but we should be ready to move forward if salmon are continuing to decline

•    Inclusive stakeholder negotiations

 Convene stakeholders to work together to craft a lawful, science-based blueprint that both works for people and protects and restores healthy salmon populations.

2. Orcas and Salmon: Shafted Again?

Puget Sound community members and orca advocates are again calling for leadership from President Obama, Senators Murray and Cantwell.

People For Puget Sound's Kathy Fletcher knows that orcas are a critical part of Puget Sound's ecosystem, and that Columbia-Snake Basin chinook are essential for their survival. On April 12, she took the Obama administration to task -- again -- for its apparent lack of interest in saving the endangered orcas.

Puget Sound's Southern Resident killer whales (or orcas) were listed as endangered in 2005. Since that time, NOAA Fisheries has known that inadequate food is a primary reason for the orcas' decline. And yet NOAA continues to avoid even considering the action – removal of the four lower Snake River dams - that has the enormous potential to provide these spectacular, intelligent marine mammals with enough of their main food – chinook salmon.“The Southern Resident Killer Whales will go extinct without more chinook salmon. The orcas and the people of the Northwest who care about their fate deserve a plan for the Snake and Columbia River’s fish-killing dams that protects and restores our salmon and our resident killer whales.” – Kathy Fletcher, People for Puget Sound

Read more from People for Puget Sound's press release.

3. LAST CHANCE for Hot Pants / Cool Rivers - Mountain Khakis and SOS Photo Contest: Send us a photo of your favorite river for your chance to win some great gear!

Save Our Wild Salmon has teamed up with Mountain Khakis to highlight our shared love of free-flowing rivers.  To show their support for the Snake River and its salmon, and celebrate all the beautiful rivers to be found around the world, Mountain Khakis is giving away some sweet gear and clothing throughout the month!

Between April 5 and April 30, send us a photo of your favorite river. As a little incentive we'll be featuring a photo on the Save Our WIld Salmon and Mountain Khakis blog each week and we'll be giving away some cool Mountain Khakis gear!

On April 30, we'll give away our grand prize - a product from MKs new Snake River Collection!

Entering is easy!To submit, upload your photo(s) to the Save Our Wild Salmon Flickr Pool. Make sure your photo has a title and a description. We look forward to seeing your work and the rivers that you love!

To win you must be a U.S. resident or have a U.S shipping address. Sorry, rest of the world!

It’s been a whirlwind since the court ruled on May 4th – invalidating the federal agencies’ latest plan for endangered wild salmon and steelhead in the Columbia/Snake Basin. We’ve spent time in Washington D.C. meeting with Congressional offices and Obama administration officials; we’re connecting and reconnecting with allies and partners to plan our joint work together in the weeks and months ahead; we’re responding to media interest and communications projects; and with our Orca-Salmon Alliance partners, we kicked off “Orca Awareness Month” on June 5th.

As a result, it’s now mid-June and we’re still catching up on various projects – including an overdue issue of the Wild Salmon & Steelhead News. Here is it.

Enjoy this issue – it’s longer than usual - packed with lots of great information, recent developments and a look at what’s ahead. Following on the heels of this terrific ruling, we look forward to working closely with you in the weeks and months ahead to seize this opportunity to recover salmon, restore healthy rivers, and rebuild communities. We'll be reaching out to ask for your engagement, support and energy like never before!

IN THIS ISSUE:

1. U.S. District Court rejects feds’ 5th consecutive salmon plan since 2000; serves up lower Snake River dam removal and a new opportunity for Northwest and nation.

2. Press Clips: More salmon and river restoring news coverage

3. Guest Opinion - Lin Laughy: "Snake Oil on the Lower Snake"

4. June is Orca Awareness Month – Kick-off event and upcoming activities

5. Recent and Upcoming Salmon/River Events in the Northwest

6. Welcome Rachael Carrell - SOS' Summer 2016 Intern!

 1. U.S. District Court rejects feds’ 5th consecutive salmon plan since 2000; serves up lower Snake River dam removal - and a new opportunity for Northwest and nation.

On May 4th, the long-awaited verdict from U.S. District Court in Portland (OR) was issued. Judge Michael Simon (who replaced Judge James Redden in 2013) soundly rejected the federal agencies’ 2014 Columbia Basin Salmon Plan. While this is the 5th federal plan since 2000 to meet this fate, last month’s ruling was significantly different.

The court found the government’s plan in violation of both the Endangered Species Act and the National Environmental Policy Act. In doing so, it toppled the building blocks that the agencies have relied on for years – a framework far more focused on saving dams than saving wild salmon and steelhead gravely endangered by those dams.

The 148-page ruling rejected the government’s efforts to define downward what the law requires to recover the species; it rejected the government’s failure to address climate impacts; and it rejected the plan’s overly optimistic reliance on uncertain and speculative tributary and habitat restoration projects. It specifically cited the government plan's high costs ($15B and counting...) but dismal results.

SOS Factsheet: What did the court do? Why it's different? What's next?

SOS Factsheet: Highlighted Quotations from the May 4, 2016 U.S. District Court Verdict 

In addition to these substantive issues above, the court also found for the plaintiffs (conservationists, fishing and clean energy advocates, the Nez Perce Tribe and State of Oregon) that the government violated NEPA. The agencies’ illegal reliance on stale and out-of-date information has contributed to the their expensive failures in the Columbia Basin.

The May 4 court order requires the agencies to produce a new salmon plan (Biological Opinion or BiOp) and NEPA-compliant report 21 months from now - March 1, 2018. (this date will likely change – see below).

The court sent a strong message that the agencies’ NEPA Report (Environmental Impact Statement or EIS) must take a close look at the removal of the four lower Snake River dams – something agencies have stubbornly avoided – despite NOAA’s acknowledgement in 2000 that it is the single most beneficial action we can take to protect and restore endangered salmon in the Columbia Basin.

SOS Factsheet: Climate Change, Cost, and the Lower Snake River Dams

The NEPA process presents a tremendous opportunity to develop updated information, assess the costs, benefits and effectiveness of various recovery options to make the dams less deadly to salmon and steelhead, and promote a dialogue in the Northwest and nation – but only if the process has integrity, transparency, robust public participation. We’ll need your help to watchdog and engage in this process from start to finish.

Right now, we’re waiting for the judge, with input from the various parties to the litigation, to settle on a final calendar for the NEPA process and development of a new salmon plan. Stay tuned!

Finally, here's a (very) partial list of press clips: editorials, articles and guest opinions about the ruling and the need for a sensible, effective, and fiscally-responsible plan to restore Northwest wild salmon and steelhead.

Idaho Mountain Express Editorial: Stop the Dance of Death(6.2.2016)

East Oregonian Editorial: Feds are running out of half measures(5.10.2016)

Seattle Times Op-Ed: Federal court decision is a critical opportunity for salmon, energy and communities(5.14.2016)

Crosscut.com: Judge: Failed salmon restoration has cost billions(5.17.2016)

Idaho Statesman Guest Opinion: Dams are damning wild salmon and steelhead in Idaho and the Northwest(5.22.2016)

2. Press Clips: More salmon and river restoring news coverage:

Mountain Mountain Express: Middle Fork could regain role as salmon nursery. But biologist says out-of-basin factors remain obstacles(5.27.2016)

New York Times article: Unplugging the Colorado River (5.22.2016)
 (while this article focuses on the Colorado, it references our Columbia and Snake work and the fact that dam removal is increasingly accepted as a mainstream policy tool to restore rivers and fish and wildlife populations)

The Drake: Army Corps Attempt to Engineer Salmon Recovery (6.10.2016) (this short article includes a quote from executive director Joseph Bogaard)

Green Acre Radio: The Great Salish Sea: Double Jeopardy - Endangered Orcas and Endangered Salmon (6.15.2016) (This 6-minute radio story highlights the challenges South Resident orcas face, and how recovering salmon in the Columbia Basin must be an important part of this puzzle. And it includes a quote from Joseph too!)

Columbia Basin Bulletin: NOAA Upholds Threatened Designation For Snake River Fall Chinook (6.2.2016) (SOS and many of its coalition partners joined forces to submit official comment to NOAA as it considered a "petition to delist" and urged the agency to uphold the threatened designation. In this case, NOAA made the right decision.)

3. Guest Opinion - Lin Laughy: "Snake Oil on the Lower Snake"

From the desk of Lin Laughy - June 7, 2016

The Army Corps of Engineers and Bonneville Power Administration continually mislead the public regarding the status of threatened and endangered salmon and steelhead on the Columbia and lower Snake Rivers. Ports and special interest groups echo these government agencies’ misinformation. Claims about the survival rate of juvenile fish passing through the hydropower system provide a prime example, with the following statements typical:

The [lower Snake River] dams are now on track to achieve standards of 96 percent average dam survival for young spring Chinook and steelhead migrating downstream and 93 percent for young summer-migrating fish.
  — Bonneville Power Administration (Fact Sheet March 2016)

The Walla Walla District is on track to meet performance standards of 96 percent survival for spring migrating juvenile fish and 93 percent for summer migrants through each lower Snake River dam.   
— Walla Walla District, Army Corps of Engineers January 1, 2016

The survival rate of juvenile fish traversing the dams has reached 97 percent, and adult fish returning to spawn have a dam passage rate of nearly 100 percent.
   — Executive Director of the Pacific Northwest Waterways Association as reported in the Lewiston Morning Tribune April 7, 2016

For the young salmon who do pass by these dams on their way to the ocean, survival rates are incredibly high: 97 percent on average, similar to survival rates in undammed rivers.
  — Executive Director of Northwest River Partners, Opinion, Spokesman Review, May 28, 2016

The intent of this messaging is for the reader to associate 93%-97% survival of juvenile fish with the operation of the Columbia/Snake hydropower system. These messages frequently fail to make clear that this claimed survival rate is per dam, nor do they address the cumulative impact of such a survival rate.

Let’s look at the full truth.

Click here to read Lin's full opinion.

4. June 2016 - Orca Awareness Month – kick-off and upcoming events:

This past Sunday, June 5th, SOS and the Orca Salmon Alliance (OSA) hosted a Baby Orca Birthday Bash - its opening event for the 10th Annual Orca Awareness Month which celebrated the birth of baby Southern Resident orcas last year.   The event focused on celebrating this iconic species of the northwest and building awareness of the present threats to their survival – not the least of which is the persistent lack of available prey – chinook salmon.

The event was a huge success. 400+ people attended - excited about orcas and enthusiastic about the work the OSA is doing.

Various OSA members hosted tables with orca-themed activities - face painting, arts and crafts, and orca bingo. The main attraction were the six impressive and delicious cakes donated by Seattle bakeries for the event. Attendees admired, voted on, and of course ate the cakes once a winner was selected.  Kids and parents alike had a wonderful time and left with a heightened enthusiasm for orca and orca-salmon conservation.

Congressmen Dennis Heck and Port Commissioner Fred Felleman spoke during the birthday bash - expressing their commitment to supporting orca and salmon recovery efforts. Governor Inslee also sent a letter of support expressing his congratulations for the 10th Annual Orca Month and his recognition for the need of further efforts to protect orca and salmon populations in Washington State. (Note: With the May 4 verdict, Governor Inslee right now has an excellent opportunity to turn words into action - by working to meet the needs of the Columbia Basin endangered salmon in the near-term - and to ensure we develop a lawful federal salmon plan to replace the latest illegal one!)

This event was a testament to widespread support for OSA’s orca and salmon conservation efforts.

Go here to learn more about OSA and Orca Month activities.

If you are going to be in the Seattle area on Wednesday, June 29, we hope you’ll join us at Town Hall Seattle of “Orca and Salmon - An Evening of Story-telling”. Go here for more details and links to purchase tickets.

5. Recent and Upcoming Salmon/River Events:

"AN EVENING ON THE ELWHA" - SEATTLE TOWN HALL
On May 12th, SOS co-hosted an amazing presentation of experts on the Elwha River restoration at Town Hall Seattle. More than 500 people attended and stayed late into the evening listening to stories and asking questions.

The event was emceed by Seattle Times Reporter Lynda Mapes and included talks from Francis Charles, chairwoman of the Lower Elwha Tribe, 1990s Elwha river restoration campaigner Shawn Cantrell (and current Regional Director of Defenders of Wildlife), adventurer David Spiegel, and a series of knowledgeable, articulate agency and tribal scientists who provided an amazing glimpse into the tremendous progress of the nation’s biggest river restoration to date!

Unfortunately, we were unable to record this special evening. The bottom line: watershed and fish and wildlife restoration is happening at an astonishing pace. River function has returned, the estuary and coastline is recovering, salmon – and the many critters that benefit from the presence of salmon – are increasing in numbers.

Overall, it was a wonderful, inspiring evening. Here is a link to the event announcement and presenters – we are extremely grateful for their expert and enthusiastic participation in this special evening.

"RETURN OF THE RIVER" SCREENING - SPOKANE, WA

A recent screening of the award-winning film Return of the River drew a warm crowd in Spokane.  The documentary celebrates the tremendous recovery dam removal has brought to the Elwha River ecosystem and recounts how the community overcame obstacles and disagreement to finally reach a consensus decision on dam removal that all stakeholders could support.  SOS, Spokane Falls Trout Unlimited and American Whitewater sponsored the screening and led a Q & A afterwards focused on  lessons the Elwha success story could offer to ongoing efforts to remove the four lower Snake River dams.  

The diverse crowd of 100 people cheered Judge Simon’s recent decision to reject the federal agencies’ failed BiOp.  Simon’s ruling has offered the region a real opportunity to honestly assess what both fish and the region’s farmers need to survive and thrive in the future.   With the benefits of the lower Snake River declining and more farmers and shippers needing rail lines rather than an aging waterway to get goods to market,  is it past time for a honest conversation among fishermen, river advocates, farmers, taxpayers  and other stakeholders on dam removal and the opportunities to replace four aging dams with better transportation, cleaner energy, and a strong recreational economy based on a free-flowing restored river and healthy fisheries.   

Many communities around the Northwest and nation have demonstrated that people can come together and support removing dams.  When obsolete dams come out and rivers are restored, fish, people and economies benefit.  Return of the Riverdocuments the hard work involved in such an effort and why it’s worth it.

SOS and partner groups will be hosting more screenings of the film in the fall in Walla Walla, Lewiston and Spokane. Stay tuned!

6. Welcome Rachael Carrell - SOS' Summer 2016 Intern!

Save Our wild Salmon has been blessed this summer by the arrival of Rachael Carrell - a Seattle native who eager to help us restore healthy rivers and wild salmon in the Pacific Northwest. She's working with Joseph in our Seattle office on a variety of projects: outreach, research, communications and more.

After taking a gap year after high school and traipsing around South America - studying Spanish, working on farms, and generally exploring and adventuring, Rachael returned to the U.S. and began her studies at the University of Vermont in Burlington. She's home for the summer and is volunteering full-time with SOS.

We're very fortunate to have her with us!

1. Courtroom Update on Obama's Salmon Plan -Will the Obama administration follow the science now?

2. Working Snake River for Washington -New coalition seeks broad involvement, political leadership to protect salmon and orcas.

3. The Idaho Tide - "The sin lies not in the wilderness, but in the dammed."

Patagonia taps author Steven Hawley to share his thoughts on the Snake River Basin.

4. And the winner is... - The results are in for the Mountain Khakis / Save Our Wild Salmon "We Love Rivers!" Photo Contest

1. Courtroom Update on Obama's Salmon Plan

Will the Obama administration follow the science now?

On May 20th, Northwest citizens and a federal judge are expecting the Obama administration to release its revised salmon and steelhead plan for the Columbia & Snake Rivers – the result of a 90-day voluntary remand. Based on pretty clear signals from the federal agencies over the past three months, this “new” plan may look disappointingly like the old plan, about which U.S. District Court Judge James Redden, the Nez Perce Tribe, the State of Oregon, and the salmon community expressed serious concerns.

A quick review of how we got here:

Campaign 2008 -- Candidate Obama campaigns for change, including a pledge to return science and transparency to federal decision-making.

January 21, 2009-- In his inaugural speech, President Obama promises to “restore science to its rightful place.”

March 3, 2009– Before the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, President Obama promises to look “for ways to improve [the ESA], not weaken it.”

May 2009 -- After the Obama Administration inherits the Bush Administration’s deeply flawed 2008 Columbia Basin Salmon Plan, Judge Redden sends strongly-worded letter indicating that the plan is unlikely to pass legal muster. The Obama Administration asks the court for time to review the 2008 plan, to better understand the plan prior to proceeding.The Western Division of the nation’s premier fisheries science organization, the American Fisheries Society, sends a letter to new NOAA Administrator, Dr. Jane Lubchenco, reaffirming their support for lower Snake River dam removal as the key option to recovering Snake River salmon and steelhead.

Summer 2009-- The Administration reviews the 2008 salmon plan largely behind closed doors; holds no substantive discussions with salmon and fishing advocates; hosts a confidential 2-day scientific review, but without any meaningful transparency, peer-review, or open discussions with independent scientists, salmon advocates, or fishermen. No actual materials (notes, presentations, etc.) from the “scientific review” have ever been made public. Read more on the science review.

September 2009 – The Administration officially adopts the Bush plan that it inherited, includes an amendment – the Adaptive Management Implementation Plan (AMIP) – in an attempt to address the shortcomings of the 2008 Plan – and submits the revised package to Judge Redden.

February 2010– The Western Division of the American Fisheries Society pans that “new” plan and its AMIP for not using the best available science and being more concerned with protecting dams and a (failed) status quo than endangered salmon. In a separate action, Judge Redden suggests that the Administration withdraw the plan for 90 days to address substantive and procedural shortcomings. The Administration agrees to this review (also called a remand). Read their review of the AMIP.

May 20, 2010 – The Administration is scheduled to deliver its final plan to Judge Redden.

Needless to say, salmon and fishing advocates’ expectations for the Obama Plan are low. Here is what this new plan must minimally include in order to begin to address the needs of endangered salmon and steelhead, and the requirements of the law and science:

Spill, Science & Stakeholders – Will the revised plan meet the tests of science and law?The new salmon plan must meet the test of science in the following ways:

(1) Salmon need Water: End the costly and unnecessary annual arguments over river operations and commit to a default full spill program – as suggested by the Northwest Power and Conservation Council’s Independent Scientific Advisory Board– for the 10-year life of this plan (spill sends water – and young migrating fish - over the dams, rather than though lethal spinning turbines, or in barges or trucks).

(2) Climate change: Stop downplaying the impacts of climate change on salmon in the Columbia River Basin and heed Judge Redden’s call for sound, specific climate change analysis, similar to NOAA’s 2009 Central Valley Biological Opinion in California.

(3) Lower Snake River dams:Immediately initiate a comprehensive study of lower Snake River dam removal to fully understand and prepare for this restoration option – the one with the greatest level of scientific support and biological certainty

(4) Inclusive stakeholder negotiations: Convene key stakeholders to work together to craft a lawful, science-based plan that works for people and communities, considers all credible recovery options – including the removal of the four lower Snake River dams – and ensures the protection and restoration healthy, harvestable salmon populations.

Stay tuned!

We’ll be in touch with an update and ways that you can help as soon as the Administration goes public with its revised plan.

2. Working Snake River for Washington

New coalition seeks broad involvement, political leadership to protect salmon and orcas.

Save Our Wild Salmon is proud to announce its participation in a new project – Working Snake River for Washington. A complement to the larger Columbia & Snake Rivers Campaign, this is a collaboration of Washington State-based conservationists and clean energy proponents, salmon and orca advocates, commercial and recreational fishermen, and businesses. It comes in response to the government’s two-decade, eight billion dollar failure to protect Columbia Basin’s endangered wild salmon and steelhead from extinction.

It is time for a brand new approach and that depends on the leadership of Washington State’s senators. We need Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell to work with other Northwest leaders and the Obama Administration to initiate a negotiation process involving key stakeholders in the region – farmers, fishermen, business, energy users, conservationists, and others – to come together to craft a comprehensive plan that works for both people and salmon. A number of prominent regional politicians, including Senators Risch (ID) and Merkley (OR), have already endorsed this type of approach.

Last week, more than 60 business and community leaders from eastern Washington jump-started this conversation by sending a letter to Senators Murray and Cantwell urging their support for an inclusive stakeholder process.

It is time to bring key stakeholders together along with the best scientific and economic information. Discussions must include a full and fair consideration of the costs and benefits of lower Snake dam removal as well as the anticipated needs of our state’s clean energy and transportation infrastructures.  A growing number of people in Washington State recognize that resolving the Columbia Basin salmon crisis represents an opportunity to address a larger set of inter-connected challenges facing our state, its economy, and environment.

The Working Snake River for Washington project includes an engaging website and encourages your participation.  www.workingsnakeriver.orgCheck out several features: Take Action -- Add Your Story -- Opportunities -- Voices for a Working Snake River -- Map the Issues

3.The Idaho Tide

Patagonia taps author Steven Hawley to share his thoughts on the Snake River Basin.

Late summer's low flow barely bumped our kayaks down one of the main veins draining the vast wilderness of north-central Idaho, delivering us to the mouth of a place I'll call Bigfoot Creek. The thin skin of water over rock made the prospect of a 10-mile side canyon hike sans socks seem like a better idea than sticking to some lame compulsion to make miles on the water. Besides, it would be worth the blisters if we got to see chinook salmon finning in a clear, deep pool we knew lay up there. Before we'd even tightened the straps on our sandals, we startled three napping wolves from their creekside beds along the Bigfoot. The looks on their faces gave the impression they were as surprised as we were.

Read more of Steven Hawley's Idaho Tide.

4.We have a winner!

Mountain Khakis and Save Our Wild Salmon announce the winner of their 2010 photo contest!

Last month, to show their support for the Snake River and its salmon, and celebrate all the beautiful rivers to be found around the world, Save Our Wild Salmon ran a photo contest in conjunction with Mountain Khakis asking people to submit shots of their favorite rivers.

People sure do love their rivers, and with over 70 submissions, we saw photos from the Lower Yellowstone to the Flathead to the Colorado. It was hard to choose, but the winning photo was of the Colorado River, taken at Dead Horse Point.

View the winning photo here.

To check out all of the inspiring photos, head on over to the contest Flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/groups/weloverivers

In this Issue:

4. A Great Pairing:Columbia Winery “stomps” for Save Our Wild Salmon

 

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What’s Next for Obama Salmon Policies?

Salmon and Fishing Advocates go to court on Monday, November 23rd.

 

You will probably remember that President Obama inherited the terribly flawed 2008 Federal Salmon Plan from President Bush (along with a few other things…) at the start of this year. And you may also recall that after an extended review – during which time the Obama team received thousands of calls for change from national and international scientists, Members of Congress, former and current Northwest governors, regional and national newspapers, and salmon and fishing advocates from across the country – the Administration decided to adopt the old Bush plan and re-submitted it to Judge James Redden in mid-September – lock, stock and barrel, plus a couple of grossly inadequate tweaks.

 

350.org International Day of Climate Action

On Saturday, October 24, Save Our Wild Salmon joined hundreds of paddlers on the Willamette River in downtown Portland to form a giant floating 350 as part of the largest global day of climate action ever.

Stretching out to the Pacific Ocean from its headwaters near Crater Lake in the Cascade mountain range, the mighty Rogue River runs legendary among fishing, whitewater, and other outdoor communities. It was one of the original eight rivers named in the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968. However, since 1921, the migration of the Rogue's salmon and steelhead has been severely constrained by five dams on the river's middle and upper reaches.

Columbia Winery is proud to support Save Our Wild Salmon with a $5,000 donation to help restore healthy wild salmon populations to the Columbia River basin. As Washington State’s first premium winery, Columbia Winery has been producing distinctive Washington wines from European vinifera grapes since 1962.

1. Exxon's long-term plans revealed -Big Oil's mega-load shipments begin moving into the Northwest.

2. Washington's Clean Energy Windfall - Creating carbon-free energy, good jobs, and healthy communities.

3. Fall Fundraiser continues -There's still time to win some great prizes!

4. Baby Orca -New killer whale calf appears in Puget Sound.

But first...a short note on the latest salmon lawsuit:

As you probably are aware, our litigation to ensure the federal government lives up to its responsibilities to protect and restore wild salmon and steelhead in the Columbia Basin is taking its next step in federal court.At the end of this week (Oct 29), we will submit the filings by conservation and fishing plaintiffs, with our allies - the State of Oregon and the Nez Perce Tribe -  in our challenge of the Obama Administration's "same old-same old" salmon plan.  U.S. District Judge James Redden's verdict is likely to be rendered in the first quarter of 2011 - it's right around the corner!  Stay tuned for news around this filing toward the end of this week...

1. Exxon's long-term plans revealed

Mega-load shipments begin moving into the Northwest

Local citizens, businesses and conservationists continue to fight Big Oil’s plans to ship mining equipment up our salmon rivers and scenic highways to the Tar Sands in Alberta, Canada. 

Recently, over 40 regional and national organizations wrote a letter urging Northwest members of Congress to provide oversight on this project.

The issue has recently been covered in the New York Times: "Oil Sands Effort Turns on a Fight Over a Road" 

If you haven't already, please take action on this issue.

Exxon moves the first mega-loads to the Northwest

 Despite widespread opposition, this month Exxon imported its first shipment of heavy loads through the Port of Vancouver and barged them 435 miles upriver to the Port of Lewiston.  This act of arrogance—permits have not been issued and Conoco’s similar mega-loads are stalled at the Port by court order—is proof that Exxon views our rivers and roads as a mere resource at their disposal and cares little about public input.  

Recently translated Korean documents reveal what people have suspected:  Exxon wants permanent use of the Columbia-Snake Rivers and scenic Highway 12 to ship massive loads of mining equipment to the Tar Sands.  While Exxon continues to claim it plans to send only 207 mega-load shipments in the next year, documents obtained by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) show that Exxon has signed long-term contracts with Korean manufacturers for equipment over the next two decades.   

And it’s not just Exxon hoping to make a new “High & Wide” shipping route through the Northwest.  Idaho Department of Transportation has met with Harvest Energy, another company involved in the Tar Sands that wants to use Highway 12 for their industrial shipping route.  

Opposition grows among elected leaders, agencies and citizens

 With the realization that Big Oil wants to permanently transform one of the Northwest’s most beloved pristine recreation areas into a permanent industrial corridor, opposition is mounting.  Forest Supervisors for the Clearwater and Lolo National Forests are now on record in opposition.  The Missoula, MT City Council and local Idaho state representatives are working to stop the shipments.  Oregon Congressman Peter DeFazio wrote a letter to the Dept. of Transportation expressing his concern over the impacts of this proposal and lack of public review and oversight.

Most recently, Senator Jeff Merkley  (D-OR) publicly expressed his concerns about Exxon’s plans and the impacts to the Northwest and is following the issue closely. 

As Big Oil’s intentions become clear, concerns are growing.  With your help, we can stop Exxon from turning our rivers and roads into their own dirty highway.  Please contact your elected leaders and urge them to oppose Big Oil’s push for a Big Road.  At the very least urge them to require public and environmental review of such a far-reaching project that, if allowed, will change the character of the scenic Highway 12 corridor forever. 

Take action on this issue.

2. Harnessing Washington's Wind

Creating carbon-free energy and good jobs and healthy communities – and further diminishing the need for 4 dams on the lower Snake.

by Joseph Bogaard, outreach director, Save Our Wild SalmonA recent article in the Vancouver Columbian highlighted the wind energy investments in Kittitas County in and around the Columbia Gorge east of Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, Washington. This is one of our region’s most promising areas for generating this clean and affordable energy source. Indeed, the wind blows a lot around here. Based on projects currently under construction and in the permitting process, more than 1,000 wind turbines should be online within the next several years able to produce 1200 MW of energy. That’s enough to support roughly 300,000 homes.In addition to bringing new carbon-free energy online, the projects are also creating lots of much needed, good-paying jobs, generating significant tax revenues, and creating an important revenue stream for farmers and rural landowners that is – at least in some cases – is allowing them to stay put and keep the land in the family instead of selling to developers.Read more at the WSR Blog.

3.Fall Fundraising Contest

Support the cause, tell your friends, win some great prizes

***We are already almost halfway there!***

At just about $2,350 dollars, the SOS Fall Fundraiser has reached almost half of our goal of $5,000.

Help us reach this goal by November 11th and enter to win some fantastic prizes!

Find out more about what we're giving away here.

Donate now.

Donate on Facebook.

Save Our Wild Salmon will be giving away prizes to the five friends of salmon who raise the largest contributions between now and November 11th as part of an exciting fall fundraising drive- whether by organizing friends and family to donate to us in your name, or by an individual contribution.

We have valuable prizes from Patagonia, Granite Gear, craftsman John Miao of Xcalibur Rods, author David James Duncan, photographer Neil Osborne, and more!

CONTEST DEADLINE:  Thursday, November 11th, 2010

Prizes!

Xcaliburrods.com

Custom made for wildsalmon.org, model X908-49' 8wt, 4 piece fly rod: fast action, tip action, 57 million modulus.This thing is amazing! The rod would retail at about $700.More about the rod from John Miao:"Legend has it that there is a man who lives in the North Pole named Santa Claus. Legend also has it that there was a man who caught a 1,000lb bluefin tuna on a fly rod. His name was Lee Wulff.In reality, Mr. Wulff, at 77 years old, caught a 960lb bluefin tuna on 130lb test with big game tackle off of Nova Scotia.Mr. Wulff was a champion of the Atlantic salmon. Lee spent most of his life educating the public on the importance of Catch & Release for game fish, and wanted most to be remembered as the Father of that practice.This rod is a tribute to the spirit of Mr. Wulff. We can stand by the sidelines and expect that our troubled fisheries will be saved by a jolly man in red, or make a positive contribution and continue in the spirit of Mr. Wulff and Save Our Wild Salmon."

Patagonia - Watermaster WadersAfter years of consistent support for our campaign, Patagonia is a true champion of Save Our Wild Salmon and a huge supporter over the years.  After all, their CEO and founder is a dam buster! For the contest, Patagonia has provided us with a great pair of their Watermaster Waders.

Granite Gear - SOS Tote BagsJeff Knight and Dan Cruikshank, founders of Granite Gear, have also been huge supporters for years.  These guys recently crafted some great Save Our Wild Salmon-themed tote bags, a percentage of the proceeds going to SOS.  If they look good on the Vice-president, they'll look even better on you!Neil Ever OsbornePhotographer Neil Ever Osborne trekked into the heart of the Snake River Basin twice this summer to capture the region's pristine habitat and highlight the epic migration of Snake River salmon and steelhead.  This prize includes three mid-sized prints. Lost RiverAs captured by photographer Frederic Ohringer, the beauty and value of eastern Washington's agricultural landscape is joined with an image of fishermen (David James Duncan and friends!) casting into a wheat field. The beautiful image is accompanied by a short essay by acclaimed author David James Duncan, whose novels include The River Why and The Brothers K.  Duncan has signed the print as well.

4.Orca baby!

New killer whale calf appears in Puget Sound

From Christopher Dunagan of the Kitsap Sun:The birth was reported by observers with the Center for Whale Research, who spotted the baby Wednesday off the south end of San Juan Island. The newborn has been designated L-116, the next available number for L pod.The calf is believed to be the first offspring of L-82, born in 1990. The newborn appears to be less than a week old, and researchers say the calf appears healthy.This is the third calf born into L pod this year. The first, L-114, did not survive more than a few days. The second, L-115, was born in August and still appears healthy. Both L-115 and L-116 and their mothers are in the same subgroup that has been traveling together. The new calf brings the total for the three Southern Resident pods to 90.Meanwhile, a large number of killer whales was reported Thursday traveling through Puget Sound. They were seen from the Kingston and Bremerton ferries as well as from Blake Island and West Seattle. They were identified as Southern Residents.At this time of year, orcas are seen more frequently in Central and South Puget Sound as they switch from foraging for chinook salmon, their primary prey in the San Juan Islands, to the more abundant chum salmon coming back to streams throughout Puget Sound.

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In other orca-related news, Puget Sound kayak guide Martine Springer of Sea Quest Expeditions recently added her voice to Working Snake River for Washington.  Here's a clip:"Imagine yourself in a kayak flowing down a broad ribbon of blue water. Surrounding you are more islands than you can count, and in the distance, you see snow-capped mountain peaks. Your flotilla of companions rounds a headland crowned by an old lighthouse, and suddenly, they appear."Read more at Working Snake River for Washington.

For more infomation on the orca / salmon connection, check out this great video.

Also check out our great partners on this issue:Center for Whale Research -- Orca Network -- People for Puget Sound

Our almost-monthly online newsletter reports on the latest developments concerning efforts to protect and restore healthy, abundant wild salmon and steelhead populations in the Columbia-Snake River system - the largest salmon landscape in the continental United States. Enjoy...

1.     BIG NEWS: Oregon’s Governor Supports New Approach to Restore Salmon.

2.     Feds’ So-Called “Progress” Report – Salmon and Steelhead Remain At Risk.

3.     The Run-For-Wild-Salmon-in-Coat-and-Tie Marathon Results.

4.     Patagonia’s Cleanest Line: Wild Salmon – Good News and Bad.                                                                    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

1. Big Mo’: Governor Kitzhaber Calls for New Approach to Restore Salmon

Last month, Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber announced his support for a new approach to Columbia-Snake River salmon restoration - one that brings people together to resolve this issue and find common ground in a debate that has lasted more than 20 years. In an op-ed published in the Oregonian in late September, the Governor cites litigation success but also a need to do more now for Northwest salmon and jobs. 

In his op-ed, Governor Kitzhaber stated that “by gathering the parties around a table, and working in good faith to reach common ground on a fisheries plan that is supported by sound science, we can come to the 2014 deadline with an historic agreement that ends the 20-year chapter of salmon wars in the Columbia basin, an agreement that protects fish while maintaining our supply of clean and affordable energy.” 

Soon after the Governor’s announcement, Oregon’s senior Senator Ron Wyden issued a statement in support of regional stakeholder talks as the right next step to craft a comprehensive plan: "Time and time again we've seen that good things happen when folks agree to meet face-to-face and tackle the tough issues facing Oregon. I'm glad to see that Governor Kitzhaber has taken the initiative and announced his support for a roundtable that will bring together tribes, fishermen, farmers, power customers, conservationists and officials from state and local governments to discuss Northwest salmon issues.” 

Governor Kitzhaber and Senator Wyden are in good company: salmon stakeholder talks are supported by more than 1,000 American businesses, 52 members of Congress, the Nez Perce Tribe, tens of thousands of Americans, and multiple national newspapers. 

ACT NOW: ASK THE ADMINISTRATION TO GET TALKS STARTED!

OREGONIAN OP-ED: Governor Kitzhaber’s call for salmon collaboration is an economic opportunity – Tom Kelly

2. Federal Agencies' “Progress” Report Maintains Status Quo - Salmon Numbers Struggle.

The agencies that run the federal dams on the Snake and Columbia Rivers just submitted their 2011 Annual Progress report to the U.S. district court in Portland, Oregon, as part of the ongoing litigation over their salmon plan. This self-assessment presents the agencies’ view of how well they are implementing their plan (one that was ruled illegal in court in 2011 and ordered replaced by January 1, 2014).

When one looks past the pretty pictures and context-free statistics, some troubling truths emerge:

Wild salmon and steelhead populations remain in serious trouble. 
 80% of adult salmon returning to the Columbia and Snake Rivers are hatchery fish. These hatchery fish - while important for helping to sustain salmon-dependent communities and some key wild runs - mask a deeper problem: most wild salmon and steelhead populations remain on the brink.

Feds’ ‘fuzzy math’ clouds the full picture.  
The agencies are very proud of their 93-96% per-dam survival rates –- which look deceptively good on paper. But these at-the-concrete performance standards obscure the fact that endangered salmon and steelhead are also harmed by the warm, predator-filled slackwater reservoirs behind these dams, and that many will die in the estuary and ocean post-river-migration due to the cumulative impacts from so many dams and reservoirs or stresses from artificial (barge/truck) transportation.

Poor return-on-investment.  
The agencies are spending millions of dollars on habitat projects as "offsite mitigation" for the lethal effects of the hydropower system. But there is a yawning gap between what the agencies are implementing (or promising to implement) and the actual survival benefits salmon and steelhead populations need. Restoring habitat is certainly important, but both the Plan and Progress Report fail to demonstrate how these habitat projects can or will make up for the massive harm caused by the hydrosystem.

No commitment to additional SPILL.    We have yet to see the federal agencies incorporate the latest science from the US Fish and Wildlife Service and state and Tribal fisheries biologists concluding that more water spilled at the dams (rather than sent through the turbines) throughout the spring and summer could dramatically improve survival of key salmon runs. (For more on this: CSS report) 

More broken promises.
  The agencies long ago fell behind on promised projects in 2008 and 2010, and have yet to make up for previous shortfalls. In 2010, for example, the agencies admitted that they had completed only about 25% of the actions they had promised in the Columbia River estuary in the Plan’s first few years. Although they promised to catch up in future years, this deficit goes unmentioned and unaddressed in the latest progress report. The real problem remains: the Plan is illegal and inadequate. 


The Bottom Line:   The 2008/2010 Plan was rejected by a federal court because it fails to do what is needed to protect and recover imperiled salmon and steelhead. The agencies may continue to check off their to-do's, but without a legal, science-based plan in place - we're treading water or worse. For the wild salmon and steelhead populations throughout the Columbia-Snake Basin that remain in serious trouble – and the communities that rely on them - this can’t be called “progress.”

We support the Oregon Governor's call in late September for a new approach to salmon restoration on the Columbia-Snake. This progress report from the federal agencies reinforces Governor Kitzhaber’s call to find a new path forward. 

More information on the federal government's 2012 Progress Report.

3. 'Run Wild For Salmon' athletes exceed their goal.  

On Oct. 7, three intrepid salmon advocates set off in the Portland Marathon to support the work of Save Our Wild Salmon. During the month of September, these runners raised funds throughCrowdrise – and while they have met their goal of $2,000, there is still time to contribute and become eligible to win a $135 gift certificate from Patagonia Footwear and qualify for some other great thank you prizes. 

Take some strides with these runners and help salmon - make a donation today! 

Thank-you gifts and Raffle Prizes:     

--  All donors will be entered to win a $135 gift certificate from Patagonia Footwear (we have 2 to raffle).

--  The first 25 donors at $60 or more will receive a $30 gift card to Mountain Khakis!

--  Donors of $100+ will receive a set of 6 awesome steel pints from Klean Kanteen with SOS’ 20th anniversary logo.

MEET THE RUNNERS: 

Jennifer Trunkey hails from Snoqualmie, Washington, in the Cascade foothills. She has lived all over the Pacific Northwest and now makes her home in Portland. Jennifer says, “I have always felt a strong connection to this bioregion and the amazing natural beauty that we are so lucky to have. I studied salmon ecology in college and am happy to support the good work that SOS does advocating for the preservation of important (crucial) salmon habitat.”  Jennifer is an instructor at Portland Community College. She loves to hike and run on trails and has run the Portland Marathon for the last three years. 

Jennifer King got her running start in 5th grade in the Junior Olympics for cross-country and has been running on and off since then. This was Jen’s first full marathon since 2002 and her second one ever. “In those ten years I've had 2 lovely kids, and moved from California to Oregon. Back in California I witnessed the salmon spawning on the Russian River where you were lucky to see a few fish spawning on a good day. I like to get out to see some of the healthier runs on rivers near my home in Hood River and take the kids. I know that today's numbers are a far cry from historical numbers and there is so much more to be done.“ 

Steve Hawley is a journalist and self-proclaimed "river-rat," author of “Recovering a Lost River: Removing Dams, Rewilding Salmon, Revitalizing Communities.” He grew up in Portland Oregon, where in June of 1979 he completed his first road race in a pair of Women's sexy yellow Nike waffle trainers, the only running shoes made back then that would fit a nine-year old. He's been running ever since. The 2012 Portland Marathon was his second – and the first in 8 years. Steve ran it in a suit - seeking to set a world record for the fastest-marathon-in-a-suit, a time that he missed by just a few minutes! Steve lives and runs and writes in Hood River, Oregon. 

Please consider a contribution to support these runners and the Save Our Wild Salmon Coalition. Your donation will help sustain our work in the courtroom, in Congress, and on the ground in communities throughout the Pacific Northwest and nationwide.  

Read more on the Run Wild Salmon Marathon Challenge...

4. Patagonia’s 'The Cleanest Line' Blog: Good News and Bad -- Wild Salmon Find a Northwest Champion, but are Under Attack in Congress.      

Patagonia is a longtime, committed supporter of wild salmon and steelhead, healthy rivers, and removing costly, outdated dams.

The Cleanest Line is Patagonia’s blog for employees, friends and customers.

"FREE THE SNAKE!" 

This issue of Wild Salmon & Steelhead News reviews two big events that SOS recently organized in partnership with some of our close coalition and business partners. Below you’ll find a summary of both events followed by a series of links to articles, videos, actions, and further information.

FREE THE SNAKE FLOTILLA AND RALLY: First, on Saturday October 3, SOS worked with the Friends of the Clearwater, Patagonia, Mountain Gear, the Nez Perce Tribe, Idaho Rivers United, orca advocates and others to organize a first-of –its-kind rally on the banks of the lower Snake River near Pullman in eastern Washington State. The Free the Snake Flotilla attracted more than 350 people from across the Northwest. We brought our boats and paddled three miles down the “Snake Lake” to within spitting distance of Lower Granite Dam. Once we all assembled there, we held a rally on the water – cheering and chanting for the removal of four deadbeat dams and the restoration of one of America’s great salmon river systems.

A number of reporters joined us at this remote spot to interview attendees and find out more about the renewed and growing calls to restore the lower Snake River. We were also joined by a spokesperson for the Army Corps of Engineers who tried to argue that these four dams provide great value for the American people. It is a tired narrative that people just aren’t buying anymore.

Below are a number of links to stories and video from this very fun, inspiring and energizing day. In case you missed it this year, the day was so magical that we made a group decision right there on the spot to gather there again one year from now. We’ll see you there in 2016!

ENJOY THE MANY LINKS BELOW:

Patagonia’s awesome video of the Flotilla.

Patagonia Blog: The Cleanest Line - Free the Snake Flotilla Action

For more information and photos from the Flotilla, visit the website and/or Facebook.

Here's a bunch of great photos from the Flotilla (please credit Ben Moon for Patagonia if you'd like to use them).

Canoe and Kayak Op-Ed: Paddling Against Deadbeat Dams at the Free the Snake Flotilla

Spokesman Review: Free the Snake event lures flotilla to protest dams

Boise Weekly: Free the Snake - A 150-Boat Flotilla Takes to the River to Advocate Against Dams

Hatch Magazine: Let’s Stop the Stupidity on the Snake

Salmon Blog: Mr. President – Tear down these walls

Trout Bus: I was there. Free the Snake River.

INTERTWINED FATES: THE ORCA- SALMON CONNECTION:Then, even before we had fully recovered from the amazing Free the Snake Flotilla and Rally, we helped host an event on the west side of the mountains in the Puget Sound Basin – at the Seattle Aquarium. The Orca-Salmon Alliance (a new coalition of 10 organizations, including SOS) hosted Intertwined Fates: The Orca-Salmon Nexus in the Northwest.

This event drew a sold-out crowd of more than 300 and featured as our keynote speaker the award-winning author and renowned scientist Carl Safina. Dr. Safina spoke about his excellent new book – Beyond Words: What Animals Think and Feel – and then joined a panel of local salmon and orca experts to discuss these two iconic and endangered Northwest species.

As part of the panel, Dr. Safina made a very strong pitch for restoring the lower Snake River by removing its four costly dams – to benefit hungry Southern Resident Killer Whales that depend upon chinook salmon for their survival, but also for the sake of other species, including, for example, imperiled sturgeon and lamprey - and Northwest ratepayers and American taxpayers who have paid billions of dollars to fund a series of illegal, ineffective, inadequate federal salmon plans in the Columbia-Snake River Basin year over the last 20+ years!

For more information on this event and the Orca-Salmon Alliance, please visit the OSA Website and visit the media links below:

King5 TV: Orca advocates call for end to Snake River dams

Skagit Valley Herald: New alliance has big goals for salmon, orca recovery

Puget Sound Blogs: Carl Safina explores animal culture plus orca-salmon links

You can download a new OSA brochure here that highlights the relationship between Southern Resident Killer Whales and chinook salmon - and why restoring abundant salmon in the Columbia Basin in the near-term - and especially in the Snake River Basin - is critical to the survival and recovery of the SRKWs.

Wild Salmon & Steelhead News is produced by the Save Our wild Salmon Coalition. Read on to learn about the Columbia-Snake River Basin’s endangered wild salmon and steelhead, the many benefits they deliver to the people and ecosystems of the Northwest, and the extinction crisis they face today. You’ll learn about our campaign to restore health, connectivity and resilience to the rivers and streams they depend upon in the Columbia-Snake Basin, and how you can get involved help protect and restore healthy, abundant and fishable populations.

Contact Carrie if you have questions or to discuss how to get more involved.

IN THIS ISSUE:

1. Nimiipuu River Rendezvous 2019! Hundreds gather in support of restoring a freely-flowing lower Snake River and its endangered native fishes.
2. Fifty-five scientists send letter to policymakers - With warming waters, we have a choice to make in the lower Snake River: it's either dams or salmon.
3. Save Our wild Salmon and Earth Ministry co-host “Loaves and Fishes” in Spokane.
4. Salmon and orca advocates press Northwest Power and Conservation Council members for urgent action and leadership.
5. Advocates press Washington and Oregon to fix water quality standards to increase spill and help salmon now!
6. Dammed to Extinction documentary gains a national profile with screenings in Washington D.C. and New York City.
7. Coming in early 2020: The court-ordered review of Columbia/Snake River salmon/steelhead recovery options is due for public release in February 2020
8. Farewell (for now!) to Angela – superstar organizer in our Seattle office!

1. Nimiipuu River Rendezvous 2019! Hundreds gather in support of restoring a freely-flowing lower Snake River and its endangered native fishes.

During a long weekend in September, tribal and non-tribal fishermen, business people, conservationists and others from across the Pacific Northwest came together to celebrate salmon and the many benefits they bring to people and ecosystems – and to raise our voices in support of a freely-flowing lower Snake River. This was the fifth annual gathering on the banks of the lower Snake River and was formerly called the “Free the Snake Flotilla.”

More than 400 people joined forces at the Hell’s Gate State Park outside of Lewiston (ID) and Clarkston (WA) for a paddle on the lower Snake River on Saturday and a series of presentations, discussions and films (Dammed to Extinction and A Healing Journey) over the course of the weekend. This year’s event was led by the Nimiipuu Protecting the Environment, with support from several other organizations, including SOS. The Rendezvous drew people from all over the Pacific Northwest, and had fantastic youth attendance with scores of high school and college students – the next generation of water protectors and salmon restorers!

We extend a huge thank you to everyone that attended and helped with the Rendezvous this year – especially to Nimiipuu Protecting the Environment and the many supporting and participating organizations including Earthjustice, Friends of the Clearwater, Defenders of Wildlife, Spokane Falls Trout Unlimited, Earth Ministry, Palouse-Clearwater Trout Unlimited and Sierra Club. 

Also, many thanks to Spokane-based Roast House Coffee who kept the event deliciously caffeinated with sustainably-produced coffee. And a huge shout-out to Spokane’s solar installation company Eco Depot who provided the safety pontoon boat, endless volunteer help and boundless energy and enthusiasm. Solar Saves Salmon.

2. Fifty-five scientists send letter to policymakers - With warming waters, we have a choice to make on the lower Snake River: it's either dams or salmon.

On Oct. 22, fifty-five scientists sent a letter to the governors and Members of Congress of Idaho, Washington and Oregon to highlight how the federal dams and reservoirs on the lower Snake River are combining with a changing climate to elevate water temperatures to lethal levels for salmon in summer months. As you may recall, high river temperatures devastated the sockeye salmon return to the Columbia-Snake Basin in 2015. It killed 250,000 sockeye salmon in July and August, including 96 percent of federally endangered sockeye returning to the Snake River. As the climate warms, years like 2015 will become more frequent, more intense and longer lasting.

In their letter to policymakers, scientists stated that lower Snake River dam removal is our best, and very likely only, option to reduce temperatures sufficiently to protect Snake River salmon from extinction. Restoring the lower Snake River and access for native fish to the thousands of miles of pristine rivers and streams in Idaho, northeast Oregon and southeast Washington is also our very best salmon/river restoration opportunity anywhere on the West Coast.

The scientists letter to policymakers regarding hot water in the lower Snake River is available here.

Lewiston Morning Tribune: Scientists assert only breaching can cool Northwest waterways (Oct. 23, 2019)

3. Save Our wild Salmon and Earth Ministry co-host “Loaves and Fishes” event in Spokane

At a Spokane Loaves and Fishes event on October 22 at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, a panel of farmers, commercial fishermen, Northwest tribal members and activists led a discussion with a room full of community members on a wide range of related topics including the lower Snake River dams, salmon conservation, agriculture, and tribal justice in the Columbia-Snake River Basin. The event, hosted by SOS and Earth Ministry, was aimed at addressing the well-being and future of salmon and the human communities that rely on healthy, resilient rivers.

Explained Earth Ministry Program and Outreach Director Jessica Zimmerle, “we believe in a future in which we can honor tribal treaty rights and restore salmon and ensure the livelihood of our farmers and fishermen, all with a vibrant, free-flowing lower Snake River.”

Loaves and Fishes is an on-going event series in the Inland Northwest co-lead by SOS and Earth Ministry, and supported by other organizations and community members.

These community events are designed to foster conversation that both highlight the challenges facing salmon and their rivers in the Columbia-Snake River Basin and explore durable, inclusive solutions to restore healthy salmon populations and ensure vibrant fishing and farming communities locally and regionally. For more information, contact Carrie: carrie@wildsalmon.org.

Spokane Faves: Event seeks to create a better future for lower Snake River(Oct. 24, 2019)

4. Salmon and orca advocates press Northwest Power and Conservation Council members for urgent action and leadership.

SOS teamed up with Sierra Club, Earth Ministry and others on October 15 to host a reception, rally and informal training in Seattle to help people understand and prepare for the Northwest Power Council’s final public hearing on its latest Fish and Wildlife Amendment. The Council updates their F&W plan every five years, and they’ve been taking public comment from across the region over the past several months.

Our organizing efforts turned out the largest crowd the Council has seen in any of their hearings to date. We had over a hundred people attend our pre-hearing rally, and then approximately 25 people provided testimony. People spoke from a range of perspectives – but everyone echoed the same themes: time is urgent, salmon and orca face extinction today, and the Council needs to think creatively, move quickly and engage their Governors (Inslee, Brown, Little and Bullock) in pursuing the big actions that salmon, orca and Northwest communities need today – including the restoration of the lower Snake River and its endangered salmon and steelhead.

The speakers were all excellent and included two representatives of the Chinook Nation near the mouth of the Columbia River, a 9-year old boy named Henry, energy experts, orca researchers, salmon advocates, fishing people, and many more. Some people delivered facts; others spoke poignantly from the heart. All asked for leadership and urgent and effective action. A huge thanks from SOS to everyone that attended and supported the speakers.

You can read Joseph’s public comments/testimony here.

5. Advocates press Washington and Oregon to fix water quality standards to increase 'spill' and help salmon now!

According to scores of salmon biologists, spilling water over the federal dams on the lower Snake and Columbia rivers is the best thing that the federal agencies who manage the dams can do in the near-term to help endangered salmon and steelhead as they migrate as young fish to the Pacific Ocean through the lethal system of dams and reservoirs.

The fact is: 'spill' is a critical lifeline now for imperiled Snake River fish until we have a long-term, lawful plan that removes four federal dams and replace their modest services with alternatives.

Salmon and fishing advocates working with the State of Oregon and Nez Perce Tribe have, through highly effective court action, repeatedly forced the federal agencies to steadily increase dam spill in the spring and summer when the juvenile fish are migrating to the ocean.

Back in December 2018, however, the federal agencies decided to join an interim agreement with Oregon, Washington and the Nez Perce Tribe to increase spill ‘flexibly’ between 2019-2021. This “flexible spill agreement” was designed to do three things during these three years: improve fish survival, reduce spill’s financial hit on BPA, and lessen the risk of new litigation.

In order to fully implement this agreement for the 2020 and 2021 salmon migrations, it requires Oregon and Washington to modify their water quality standards and thereby allow increased spill at the dams. Both states are working hard now to get this done – and SOS and allied organizations are keeping a close eye to ensure the new rules are done right and on time.  We’ve submitted technical letters; we’ve testified at public hearings; and we (with your support!) have delivered hundreds of signatures from citizens pressing both states to do right by salmon and permanently modify their water quality standards to 125% total dissolved gas (TDG) in time for the Spring 2020 out-migration.

As of today, we expect Washington to issue its new rule in December 2019, and Oregon to issue its new rule in January 2020. We will keep you posted on developments.

For now, we want to extend a huge thank you to everyone who has been part of this relentless multi-year pressure campaign. Your efforts – our collective efforts – have worked (though there is still much to be done of course!). Together, we’ve steadily ratcheted up spill levels and strengthened this critical lifeline for endangered salmon and steelhead for the next several years while we continue our work with others in the region to restore a freely flowing lower Snake River that saves salmon, saves orca and saves money – in a manner that helps fishing and farming communities across the region. Thank you.

For more information:

NY Times: How Long Before These Salmon Are Gone? ‘Maybe 20 Years’(September 16, 2019)

Daily Kos: Endangered orcas' fate is tied to a series of dams 400 miles inland (September 1, 2019)

CBB: NOAA Releases New 2019 BiOp For Columbia Basin Salmon/Steelhead; Includes Flexible Spill (April 2, 2019)

6. ‘Dammed to Extinction’ documentary gains a national profile with screenings in Washington D.C. and New York City.

Dammed to Extinction, the gripping and evocative documentary, explores the urgent plight of Southern Resident orcas and their need for many more chinook salmon in Northwest coastal waters to survive, reproduce and recover. The film has been accepted by numerous film festivals, including the Anderson Island Film Festival (WA), Gig Harbor Film Festival (WA), Eugene Environmental Film Festival (OR)  EcoFilm Festival (OR) and – most recently – the Wildlife Conservation Film Festival in New York City.

SOS has been working with the film-makers and other partners to host screenings of the film across the Northwest. In October, we also helped screen Dammed to Extinction in Washington D.C. The film-makers and two orca experts from Washington State flew to the nation’s capitol for the screening and a set of meetings with Northwest lawmakers.

Thousands of people have attended screenings this year in Washington, Oregon and Idaho. Movie goers already have sent postcards and made phone calls to their senators and governors to urge them to bring people together to craft a plan that restores the lower Snake River by removing its four costly dams and replacing the modest services they provide with alternatives like renewable energy and expanded rail lines.

SOS extends a huge ‘thank you’ to filmmakers Steven Hawley and Michael Peterson for dedicating their talents to produce this timely, moving film. We’ll continue to co-host and promote screenings around region.

If you are interested in hosting a screening or want to share ‘Dammed to Extinction’ with your friends and family, don’t hesitate to reach out to SOS. We’re happy to help. You can look for upcoming screenings here.

Also, DVD and Blu-Ray versions of the film are NOW AVAILABLE for sale at www.dammedtoextinction.com. 

7. Coming to you in early 2020: The court-ordered review of Columbia/Snake River salmon/steelhead recovery options is due for public release in February 2020

Back in 2016 when the U.S. District Court in Portland invalidated the federal government’s last Columbia Basin salmon plan, it ordered a comprehensive review in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to examine all credible recovery options – including the removal of the four lower Snake River dams. An initial version of the review is nearing completion and a Draft Report (DEIS) will be released to the public in February, followed by a 45-day comment period. A set of public meetings/hearings are rumored, but details are not yet available.

The upcoming DEIS and comment period is a critical opportunity for people to mobilize and call on the engagement and leadership of Northwest policymakers to work with each other, stakeholders, and Northwest people to craft a lawful, science-based solution that truly protects endangered salmon and steelhead AND invests in Northwest communities and economy. Salmon and orca face extinction today and we desperately need solutions that will work for both fishers and farmers. Restoring the lower Snake River must occur in a manner that brings all of the region’s communities forward together.

When ordered by the court in 2016, the review presented a huge opportunity for the people of the Pacific Northwest – to examine our recovery options and understand the costs and benefits and tradeoffs of restoring a freely flowing lower Snake River – the action that Northwest biologists agree is our best and very likely only option to protect endangered salmon and steelhead populations from extinction.

The three federal agencies managing the federal dams on the Snake and Columbia rivers are the Army Corps of Engineers, Bonneville Power Administration and U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Their 25-year track record has been dismal: five consecutive federal plans for protecting Columbia and Snake River salmon and steelhead from extinction have all been rejected by the courts as inadequate and illegal. The agencies are now working on their 6th effort, while salmon, orca and fishing communities hang in the balance. It is undeniably clear today that the federal agencies will not and cannot resolve the Northwest’s biggest natural resource conflict with their new plan coming in 2020. Northwest people – and salmon and orcas – need the urgent engagement of Northwest governors and Members of Congress working with stakeholders and citizens to craft a lawful, science-based plan that includes restoring the lower Snake River. To get this done, we’ll also need to transition and invest in affected communities to ensure that we all move forward together.

Even if they wanted to, the federal agencies don’t have the mission or authority or charge to deliver a comprehensive solution. This is why we urgently need Northwest leaders stepping in and stepping up – bringing people together to develop a durable plan that protects and restores salmon, and invests in and transitions affected communities.

We need your voice – especially in early 2020 – to call for urgent leadership from our Governors and Members of Congress to bring people together and solve this linked set of problems.

8. Farewell (for now!) to Angela – superstar organizer in our Seattle office!

We want to wish superstar organizer Angela Moran the very best and a huge “thank you” for her amazing contributions to SOS’ work over the past 13 months. We are very sad to see her leave, but excited about her new opportunity – Angela is taking a new position with the Seattle Aquarium as a policy assistant (while she continues to work towards a Masters degree at the University of Washington).

Angela has her fingerprints all over SOS’ organizing, outreach, policy and communications work over the past year. She’s organized numerous screenings of Dammed to Extinction, produced the 2019 Hot Water Report, and assembled newsletters, display and outreach materials. Angela has staffed SOS tabling events, helped fundraise, lobbied in Olympia, talked to reporters, and much more.

We are very grateful for all of your contributions, wish you the very best at the Aquarium, and know that we’ll stay in touch. Thank you Angela! – Joseph, Sam, Carrie and the whole SOS team.

9. ACT TODAY! CALL FOR LEADERSHIP IN THE NORTHWEST TODAY:

The Northwest needs leadership NOW! Contact the governors and congress members of Washington and Oregon and tell them that salmon, orca, and Northwest people need a plan that invests in restoring our iconic species and investing in our local communities!

Have questions? Have ideas? Want to get move involved? Reach out to Carrie today!

The intense pace of work at SOS around Columbia Basin salmon and steelhead recovery and related issues continues. Here's our latest issue of the Wild Salmon & Steelhead News (Sept. 2018). Read on to get caught up and find out how you can help.

Please reach out (Joseph or Sam) if you have questions, to get more involved.

IN THIS ISSUE:
1. 4th Annual Flotilla to Free the Snake! draws 800 attendees - and includes some very special guests
2. ***Breaking News!*** Anti-salmon legislation in U.S. Congress dealt a serious blow in September
3. Republican lawmakers host Congressional field hearing in Washington State’s Tri-Cities region
4. Governor Inslee’s Orca Task Force scrambles toward its mid-Nov. deadline: increased 'spill' and a restored lower Snake River must be top priorities
5. U.S. State Department hosts Town Hall meeting on modernizing the Columbia River Treaty in Portland, OR
6. Required Reading: A roundup of recent media
7. A huge 'thank you' and farewell (for now!) to Jacob Schmidt, SOS star organizing intern

***TAKE ACTION NOW***

(1) CALL/WRITE Senator Murray (WA), Congressmembers Adam Smith (WA), Pramila Jayapal (WA), and Earl Blumenauer (OR). THANK THEM for their active public leadership to block anti-salmon legislation HR 3144 and Section 506 in the E&W spending bill.

(2) CONTACT Governor Inslee: "More spill and fewer dams! Restore Columbia-Snake salmon to protect critically endangered Southern Resident orcas from extinction!"

1. 4th Annual Flotilla to Free the Snake! draws 800 attendees and includes several very special guests.

For our 4th year, SOS teamed up with Nimiipuu Protecting the Environment, Friends of the Clearwater, Earthjustice, Sierra Club, Defenders of Wildlife and many other groups, businesses and individuals on September 7 and 8 to host our biggest Free the Snake! Flotilla ever. Over 800 people gathered on traditional Nez Perce lands at Chief Timothy Park on the banks of the lower Snake River just outside Lewiston (ID) and Clarkston (WA). Many camped out on the 7th and/or 8th. We shared fry-bread and salmon donated by the Nez Perce Tribe. People came from all over – some as far away as Colorado and California. Many Tribal members attended - coming from the Columbia Basin, Salish Sea region and beyond.

The two-day event included information tables, welcome and closing ceremonies, and speakers and music. Special guests included Winona LaDuke – the internationally recognized Tribal activist from the White Earth region of the Upper Midwest known for both tenaciously fighting new fossil fuel projects that threaten us all as well as her advocacy for sustainable development and communities. Saturday evening attendees were treated to an intimate evening with Nahko (of Nahko and Medicine for the People). He performed a solo acoustic set of his songs late into the evening.

Saturday’s flotilla drew hundreds of people onto the (for now!) flat waters of the reservoir created by Lower Granite – the uppermost of the lower Snake’s four dams. It included a tribally-led canoe paddle that began in the morning upstream on the Clearwater River on the Nez Perce reservation. For one of the five canoes, it was the first time on the water – the first traditional hand-carved canoe to be produced and paddled by members of the Nez Perce Tribe in 113 years! The traditional canoe culture of many Columbia Basin Tribes had been lost for generations, but today is enjoying a revival in many communities.

Finally, we want to communicate a huge thank you – first and foremost to our Nimiipuu partners and hosts, and then to the many organizations, businesses and individuals that helped to organize and support and attend another amazing Flotilla to raise our voices together – to Free the lower Snake River, its endangered native fish populations – and the irreplaceable benefits they deliver to our region. Follow this link to FreeTheSnake.com to see a list of the organizations and businesses that supported this year’s Flotilla.

Media Link: Spokesman Review: More than 600 turn out for Snake River protest Saturday

2. ***Breaking News!*** Anti-salmon legislation in the U.S. Congress dealt a serious blow in September

We have some excellent news to report from Washington D.C - a rare thing these days. The anti-salmon, anti-spill, anti-dam removal legislation that has been championed by Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers since spring of 2017 was dealt a serious setback earlier this week. Aided by a small number of allies in Northwest states, Rep. McMorris Rodgers has relentlessly pushed two pieces of anti-salmon legislation. She introduced HR 3144 last year. It seeks to roll back critical salmon protections (increased spill) recently ordered by the court, undermine the Endangered Species Act and National Environmental Policy Act, overturn federal court rulings, and fatally constrain the court-ordered environmental review of salmon restoration alternatives in the Columbia Basin – including the removal of the four lower Snake River dams. While 3144 passed the House roughly along party lines, it has no Senate champion and has not been introduced there. Unless this changes (and that seems unlikely now), the chances for passage of 3144 is this Congress have significantly slimmed.

This spring, Rep. McMorris Rodgers also added a legislative rider – Section 506 or what many called the ‘Salmon Extinction Rider’ – on this year’s Energy & Water Resources spending bill. This rider was one of 3144’s key provisions – it would roll back court-ordered salmon 'spill' at the dams on the lower Snake and lower Columbia rivers. Spill is one of our most effective near-term salmon protections – short of LSR dam removal. Spill is an essential near-term action to buy critical time for endangered salmon while we continue our work to restore a freely flowing lower Snake River as part of a larger salmon plan for the Columbia Basin. Spill can help boost salmon populations in the Columbia Basin in the next several years – and thus is also an essential measure to help feed Southern Resident orcas that need more food now!

Well, we learned on Monday evening (9.10) – just after the Congressional Field Hearing in Pasco (see story below) was completed – that the Salmon Extinction Rider has been removed from the E&W Resources bill. This is a huge victory for salmon and orca, and for the many communities and people working hard to protect and rebuild our iconic fish populations. While the rider was blocked, Rep. McMorris Rodgers did insert a short paragraph into the Committee Report that accompanies this bill. Though this language is inaccurate and misleading, it is also non-binding and will not have any effect on spill, the NEPA review, or court decisions.

This victory is the result of coordinated, effective, and relentless pressure by the growing coalition of salmon/orca/river/fishing advocates and their allies across the Northwest and nation. More and more people recognize the costly failures of the federal agencies' past so-called ‘salmon recovery’ efforts, the importance of allowing science to guide our decision-making, the high price of degraded ecosystems and intensifying risk of salmon and orca extinction. And, ultimately, the realization that the feds' long-time strategy is working for no one - and a new approach is desperately needed.

As a result of our/your collective work, politics and policy in the Northwest is shifting. Kudos are especially due to Senator Patty Murray who led this regional fight to stop the Salmon Extinction Act (HR 3144) and Rider (Section 506). Senator Murray recognized these bills for what they were: harmful to salmon and harmful to regional processes and discussions occurring today to address the problems that face salmon, orca and Northwest communities. HR 3144 and Section 506 are both highly divisive to the Northwest communities that must work together on shared solutions to common problems. Thanks and praise are also due to other key elected officials who worked vigilantly to prevent these bills from becoming law, including Reps. Adam Smith, Pramila Jayapal, Earl Blumenauer, Derek Kilmer, Denny Heck, and others.

Importantly, when HR 3144 came to the House floor for a vote, all the Democratic lawmakers in Oregon and Washington voted the right way - against it – with one exception – Rep. Kurt Schrader from Oregon.

If you are represented by these lawmakers in Oregon or Washington (Rep. Schrader being the exception), please reach out to thank them for their leadership and ask them to keep pushing the region toward real, lasting solutions for our salmon, orca, rivers and communities.

It is important to remember that nothing is totally safe or certain until Congress officially adjourns later this year, so we must all remain vigilant. For the moment, however, we can breath a sign of relief. Thank you to all that worked on and helped our efforts to block this harmful legislation.

Media Links:
Senator Murray: Deal Keeps Politics out of Columbia River System Operations
SOS Press Statement on Energy & Water Resources Spending Bill - removal of Section 506

3. Republican lawmakers hold Congressional Field Hearing in Tri-Cities (WA).
On September 10, Representatives Dan Newhouse and Cathy McMorris Rodgers hosted a Congressional Field hearing in Pasco in south-central Washington State. The two-hour hearing provided these lawmakers a platform to serve up now well-known tropes of misleading, inaccurate and de-bunked science and policy that wrongly pits farmers against fishers – dividing communities at a time when we need to be coming together to address common problems with shared solutions.

According to Reps. Newhouse and McMorris Rodgers:

• Salmon and steelhead populations are doing fine. There’s no problem.
• Increased levels of spill harm salmon, is unsupported by science and could cause regional energy blackouts.
• Spill and lower dam removal will cause economic devastation locally and regionally.
• Orca are just the latest reason by anti-dam activists that actually really don't care about salmon. These zealots just want to remove dams.
• The lower Snake River dams and salmon can co-exist.
• LSR dam removal means increased reliance on fossil fuels and increased carbon emissions.

The lawmakers and their select witnesses strategically combined the “Columbia-Snake” dam projects as a single, indivisible system. In doing so, they imply that salmon advocates seek to remove dams on the Columbia as well as Snake River (not true). And by insisting on lumping together the mainstem dams on both rivers, the dams’ defenders block any meaningful scrutiny of the truly high-cost, low-value dams on the lower Snake.

This field hearing only reinforces the importance of our collective work over time to encourage, develop and distribute accurate, credible information on the real problems – and more importantly the solutions – facing imperiled salmon and orca, degraded rivers and watershed and struggling communities.

Two witnesses were invited by the minority party to present a different perspective – and both did an excellent job to correct the record and challenge the misinformation repeated by Reps. Newhouse, McMorris Rodgers and their witnesses. Minority witnesses included McCoy Oatman, Vice-Chair of the Nez Perce Tribal Council and Glen Spain, regional director of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations. In different ways, they spoke of the importance of protecting and restoring healthy rivers and healthy populations of salmon and steelhead, some of the critical changes that are needed in the federal system of dams in order to achieve this, and how the steep salmon declines in the Columbia Basin harm communities and cultures inland and across the West Coast.

SOS understands that restoring the lower Snake River will require change in this region. Transitions and investments will be needed for local affected communities to ensure that the modest energy, transportation and irrigation infrastructure these four dams provide are replaced with efficient, cost-effective alternatives like solar and wind resources and upgraded rail lines. These types of investments – and a restored river and salmon - represent a tremendous opportunity for our communities locally and regionally. This transition will require thoughtful planning and we cannot get these types of discussions started soon enough.

Media Links:
Courthouse News: GOP Witnesses Dispute Science at Hearing Over Dam Removal
SOS Press Statement on hearing

4. Governor Inslee’s Orca Task Force scrambles toward its mid-November deadline: increased spill and a restored lower Snake River must be top priorities.
We’ll keep this report short – but not for lack of content and activity! The leaders and members of the Orca Task Force are working fast and furious to meet the new (slightly extended) deadline of Nov. 16 for delivery of its first set of recommended action to Govenor Inslee in order to protect the Southern Residents from extinction. As you know, lack of sufficient prey - especially chinook salmon - is the top need that must be addressed as quickly as possible, with reducing vessel interference and toxin loads running a close second.

It remains a steep learning curve for Task Force members, given the tight timelines, wide-ranging issue areas and large geography.

Asyou read this, draft recommendations are starting to emerge from the three working groups, but at this stage, with educational webinars still for Task Force members still on the calendar, we understand that things are still very much in flux. The OTF’s supporting staff and facilitators are clearly working very hard to make progress, address concerns and needs. Everyone's attention and continued scrutiny and pressure on the Governor and on the Task Force will be needed to achieve the big, bold actions that are needed to protect the Southern Residents from extinction.

Several highlights:
(1) 33 scientists delivered a letter to the Task Force members at the Anacortes (WA) meeting in August – strongly urging two specific recommendations for action in the Columbia Basin: increased spill at federal dams and the restoration of the lower Snake River by removing its four federal dams.

(2) Nearly all the public comment delivered in Anacortes focused on the restoring the lower Snake River and its salmon. Time constraints limited public comment to less than two dozen people. 157 people had signed up to speak. Go here to provide public input to the Task Force online!

(3) SOS distributed these factsheets with the Task Force members on energy and transportation: NW Energy Coalition Lower Snake River Power Replacement Study, and two from Lin Laughy on lower Snake River energy and transportation.

(4) Upcoming meetings on Oct. 17/18 and Nov. 6. See additional details and information at the Orca Task Force webpage.

Media Link:
NRDC Blog: The Story of the Grieving Orca Mother Is Heartbreaking—and a Call to Action

5. U.S. State Department hosts Town Hall meeting on modernizing the U.S.-Canada Columbia River Treaty in Portland, OR
Over 150 people gathered at the Bonneville Power Administration building in Portland Oregon on the evening of September 6 to hear from Jill Smail, the chief negotiator for the U.S., and to share their concerns and priorities for the treaty and negotiations now under way. 
 
Ms. Smail made a 30 minute presentation on the history and significance of the treaty. Few details were provided about the status of negotiations between the two nations, which are confidential and ongoing before turning the microphone over the attendees to share their views and visions for the treaty. 
 
Portland’s Mayor Wheeler started off the public testimony with excellent comments focused on the importance of adding ecosystem function to the treaty and including tribes in the negotiations.  The state of Oregon's comments focused on their desire for more water for irrigation, continued low-cost hydropower and the potential risk to the state's economy should a major flood hit Portland. Navigation interests focused their comments on the importance of regulating river flows to support economic activity. 
 
A number of SOS partners and allies attended and/or testified, including John DeVoe of WaterWatch of Oregon, Jamison Cavallaro of the Sierra Club, Miles Johnson of Columbia Riverkeeper, Jessie Dye of Earth Ministry, and Raelene Gold of the League of Women Voters. Greg Haller, executive director of Pacific Rivers, highlighted a set of important points at the heart of a letter our U.S. Treaty Caucus recently sent to Ms. Smail that included the need for assured ecosystem flows, the creation of citizen advisory councils, the addition of a new representative to the U.S. Entity (currently dominated by dam agencies), and more. Chiara Rose, Northwest Representative of the Endangered Species Coalition, drew the important connection between a modernized treaty that will support healthy salmon populations and the survival and recovery of critically endangered Southern Resident orcas. Some residents questioned the State Department's logic of excluding the tribes from the negotiations. 

Media Link:

Conservation Groups: Make River Health Part of Columbia River Treaty Focus

6. Required Reading: A Round-up of Recent Media on Salmon, Orca and the Columbia-Snake River Basin.
(1) Tri-Cities Herald Guest Opinion: Just in case the Snake River dams go away (Nancy Hirsh, 8.31.2018)

(2) Seattle Times Guest Opinion: Grieving orca is a wake-up call for the health of Columbia (D.R. Michel, 9.7.2018)

(3) Truthout Guest Opinion: With Food Source Endangered, Southern Resident Killer Whales Face Extinction (Curtis Johnson, Sept 4)

(4) Columbia Rediviva: Hearts Like the Mountains (David James Duncan, 8.20.2018)

(5) Tri-Cities Herald Guest Opinion:Activist groups say give us our dammed Snake River back (Sam Mace, Buck Ryan, Brett VandenHeuvel, 8.23.2018)

(7) Jacob Schmidt Heads to Greece! A huge thank you to SOS' star organizing intern
SOS gives a warm send-off this week to Jacob & Faith Schmidt, who will soon embark on an overseas adventure beginning in Greece. Jacob came to SOS as a volunteer in 2017, focusing his time on involving eastern Washington communities of faith in the effort to remove lower Snake dams to restore salmon and honor Treaty Rights. He gave presentations to local congregations and organized a field trip with people of faith on the lower Snake to meet with Nimiipuu (Nez Perce) leaders. He was the lead organizer on a series of gatherings hosted by churches this spring that brought together tribal members, people of faith, commercial fishermen and farmers to have a conversation about removing dams and restoring salmon to honor Treaty Rights and how communities can work together to ensure that fishermen and farmers are kept whole through this much-needed transition. Jacob led a variety of other projects for SOS, including the Hot Water Project for 2018, which documented the hot water temperatures and other obstacles facing salmon on their journey through the Columbia-Snake River system. SOS is especially grateful for Jacob’s hard work on this year's Free the Snake Flotilla last weekend. This year’s flotilla was the largest yet, with more than 800 people participating over the course of the weekend. And a special shout-out to Jacob’s wife, Faith. A talented graphic designer, she donated many hours designing post cards, posters and other outreach pieces for the SOS Team. A huge thanks to Faith! The SOS family sends a Bon Voyage to Jacob and Faith as they set out on their adventure!

Wild Salmon & Steelhead News is produced by the Save Our wild Salmon Coalition. Read on to learn about the condition and trends of endangered wild salmon and steelhead populations in the Columbia-Snake River Basin and the many benefits they deliver to the people and ecosystems of the Northwest and nation. And find out what you can do to get involved and help protect and restore them to healthy, abundant and fishable populations.

Contact Angela or Carrie if you have questions or to discuss how to get more involved.

IN THIS ISSUE:

1. WELCOME CARRIE HERRMAN – SOS’ NEW OUTREACH COORDINATOR!
2. NIMIIPUU RIVER RENDEZVOUS 2019: A GATHERING TO SUPPORT A FREE-FLOWING SNAKE RIVER, SEPT 20-22, LEWISTON, IDAHO
3. NEW ECONOMIC STUDY FINDS THE BENEFITS OF REMOVING LSR DAMS OUTWEIGH THE COSTS
4. THREE MORE SOUTHERN RESIDENT ORCAS DECLARED DEAD, POPULATION NOW JUST 73 WHALES
5. DISMAL SALMON RETURNS ACROSS THE BASIN IN 2019 SPELLS TROUBLE FOR ORCA AND COMMUNITIES
6. ‘DAMMED TO EXTINCTION’ DOCUMENTARY RECEIVES CRITICAL ACCLAIM, INSPIRING AND MOBILIZING THE PUBLIC
7. ACT NOW! HOW YOU CAN HELP ENDANGERED SALMON AND ORCA TODAY

1. WELCOME CARRIE HERRMAN – SOS’ NEW OUTREACH COORDINATOR!

Save Our Wild Salmon is happy to announce the addition of Carrie Herrman as our new Inland Northwest Outreach Coordinator based in our Spokane office.  

Carrie will help with public outreach, engaging volunteers and advocates in local work, organizing events and assisting with communications.  She will work with our local business allies, coordinate with SOS partners and share a vision for how a free-flowing lower Snake River can benefit the economies and communities of the Inland Northwest.  

Before joining SOS Carrie graduated from Gonzaga University with a degree in Environmental Studies and Philosophy and spent two years following graduation as an AmeriCorps Volunteer working to develop and implement sustainability leadership programs for Gonzaga's Office of Sustainability.

We are excited to have Carrie join our team.  She hit the ground running on Day 1. If you have questions or want to get more engaged with SOS work, you can reach her at carrie@wildsalmon.org.

 2. Nimiipuu River Rendezvous: Join us to Support a Free-Flowing Snake River, Sept. 20-22, 2019 - Lewiston, Idaho

Join tribal members, anglers, boaters, and advocates for our salmon, orca and rivers at a gathering to support removing the four lower Snake River dams to recover endangered salmon and steelhead populations and restore their benefits to the Northwest and nation.

The River Rendezvous replaces the annual Free the Snake Flotilla from the past four years.  Hosted by Nimiipuu Protecting the Environment, It will be a similar opportunity to spend time along the lower Snake River, explore the country and meet others working toward a Snake River that works for people, salmon and orca.  This year we'll gather at a new park upstream from Lewiston called Hellsgate State Park. Camping will be available. 

Come ready to learn and engage and have fun - with a wide range of presentations from people on issues like river restoration, treaty rights, climate change, salmon recovery, and traditions.  There will be opportunities to paddle the river, hike nearby and participate in workshops.  Evening events will include music and a screening of the acclaimed film Dammed to Extinction, about the connection between Northwest orcas and Snake River salmon.  Saturday evening will include a shared meal and live music.

This is a family-friendly event.  There are many activities within the park including hiking trails, volleyball, a playground—and of course the Snake River!

Supporting sponsors include Earthjustice, Defenders of Wildlife, Sierra Club, Save Our wild Salmon, Spokane Falls Trout Unlimited, Friends of the Clearwater, Snake Riverkeeper, Eco Depot, and RoastHouse Coffee.

For more information:

Nimiipuu River Rendezvous Website

Facebook Event

3. NEW ECONOMIC STUDY FINDS BENEFITS OF RESTORING THE LSR OUTWEIGH THE COSTS

A new independent economic analysis was released last month that found that removing four federal dams to restore a freely flowing lower Snake River in southeast Washington State and its badly depleted salmon and steelhead populations – and the many benefits they deliver to the people of the Northwest and nation – would generate nearly $9 billion in net economic benefits.

The comprehensive study by ECONorthwest, the Pacific Northwest’s largest economic consulting firm, accounts for the costs of dam removal, the replacement of energy generated by the dams, and the needs of irrigation and transportation for farmers, finding that the total costs associated with removing the lower Snake River dams and replacing their services would amount to $4.3 billion. But this is just one-third of the $13 billion in economic benefits that would result from expanded recreation opportunities, operational savings (avoided costs), and the values that people across the Northwest and nation place on protecting and restoring salmon.

To make up for the loss of the minimal ‘clean’ energy provided by the dams (can energy that is driving salmon toward extinction really be considered clean?) the study points to a previous analysis which found an alternative portfolio of new renewable resources—including wind, solar, storage, and energy efficiency—could replace the dams’ energy functions at little or no increase in cost or greenhouse gas emissions.

Dam removal – coupled with rail and road transportation upgrades would also enable farmers that currently barge their wheat on the lower Snake River to meet their transportation needs at a lower overall cost to the public. In the last decade or more, many farmers have transitioned from barge to rail shipping to move their products to market. By fully transitioning to these alternative forms of transportation, dam removal could save taxpayers up to $20 million in annual subsidies that are currently required to keep the LSR barging sector afloat (pun intended). Furthermore, the small number of irrigators that rely on water from Ice Harbor reservoir could – with the proper planning and public investment – could transition to alternative water sources (or water delivery systems) to assure uninterrupted access to water for their operations.

The economic study also incorporates Northwesterners strong demonstrated support for saving salmon and orca whales from extinction. The study notes a survey conducted that found 68% of Washington State voters – across the entire state – are willing to pay as much as $7 more per month in their utility bill in order to protect and recover endangered Snake River salmon. This is roughly 4X more than what studies estimate it would actually cost.

The science in support of restoring the lower Snake River and its salmon and steelhead is solid, the clean and affordable energy case is strong and now the economics is sound as well. The status quo is not working for anyone. Now is the time for Northwest leaders to come together, to work with each other and Northwest people to develop a comprehensive package that restores the lower Snake River, protects orca and salmon from extinction, and provides benefits and necessary investments to affected communities throughout the region.

For further information:

Q13 Fox: Study, in breaching Snake River dams, benefits outweigh costs (July 29, 2019)

ECONorthwest Study: Executive Summary

ECONorthwest Study: Full Report

4. THREE MORE SOUTHERN RESIDENT ORCAS DECLARED DEAD, POPULATION NOW JUST 73 WHALES

Three more Southern Resident orcas – one from each pod – have not been seen for months and were declared dead by scientists at the Center for Whale Research last month. This announcement brings the critically endangered population just 73 individuals. J17 was the mother of Tahlequah (J35), who spent 17 days last summer carrying and mourning her dead calf. K25 had been showing signs of starvation since winter, orca scientists stated, and there had been concerns for his survival for some time. But the death of L84 may be the most tragic of all, as his death marks the loss of an entire matriline.

These three deaths, and the declining health of the entire population, are fundamentally attributable to a lack of food – particularly chinook salmon. Chinook runs in the Northwest in recent years are some of the lowest on record and orcas as a result have struggled. Scientists tell us that restoring far more abundant salmon populations in Northwest coastal waters is essential to the survival and recovery of the Southern Residents. Our region's very best opportunity for rebuilding large numbers of chinook salmon that we know orcas depend upon can be achieved by restoring the lower Snake River by removing its four costly, federal dams.

The Northwest and nation are at a crossroads today – and two national treasures are at risk of extinction: Snake River salmon and Southern Resident orcas. All four remaining populations of wild salmon and steelhead in the Snake River are at risk of extinction. And back in 2015, NOAA, the federal agency charged with protecting and restoring orcas (and salmon) issued its “Species in the Spotlight”. This report included Southern Residents as one of eight species in the U.S. most likely to go extinct without urgent, meaningful action. We have yet to see NOAA - and the federal government - back up those words with actions.

Fortunately, leadership may be emerging in the Pacific Northwest. Congressman Mike Simpson (R-ID), for example, has begun asking the “what-if” questions to understand the impacts and the opportunities of removing the dams to restore salmon and orca and provide benefits to communities. In Washington, Governor Jay Inslee convened the Orca Task Force (OTF) in 2018 and worked with the Washington State legislature earlier this year to increase funding and programs to better meet the needs of orca. One critical program that was recommended by the OTF and funded by the legislature (with a lot of hard work by SOS and many salmon and orca advocates): a Lower Snake River stakeholder process to understand concerns and identify and detail the kinds of investments, transitions and opportunities that will be needed by communities if/when the dams are removed to restore this historic river and its salmon. This process – centered around a series of interviews and information gathering – is now getting under way.

Though encouraging, essential steps in the right direction, much more is needed. Time is not on our side. Scroll down to learn what you can do to help and who you can contact to convey your concern and call for leadership and urgency.

Some links to further information:

KUOW: Orca population drops as 3 more killer whales presumed dead (August 6, 2019)

Seattle Times: Chinook bust on the Columbia: Spring returns worse than forecast on Northwest’s largest river (May 30, 2019)

Daily Kos: Endangered orcas' fate is tied to a series of dams 400 miles inland (September 1, 2019)

5. DISMAL SALMON RETURNS ACROSS THE COLUMBIA BASIN, TROUBLE FOR ORCA AND COMMUNITIES

Throughout the Columbia-Snake River Basin, adult wild salmon and steelhead returns this year have been dismal. From chinook to sockeye to steelhead, returns across to board are coming in at below – often well below - pre-season estimates set by fisheries managers.

Here is some context: For wild spring/summer chinook salmon, for example, historic returns to the Snake River are estimated to have been approximately 2 million adult fish annually. This year, fisheries managers expected just 135,200 spring/summer to return to the entire basin. This figure includes wild and hatchery fish. By the end of this season, just 75 percent of that predicted number was realized. 

As of August 6^th, only 61 individual sockeye salmon had crossed the uppermost dam (Lower Granite) on the lower Snake River. This is fewer fish than both 2018 and 2017 at this time. And it is just 6 percent of the most recent 10-year average typically seen by this date. A century ago, scientists estimate ~150,000 sockeye salmon returned to the Snake River and its tributaries on an annual basis. Today, however, Snake River sockeye are the probably the most endangered of all the Columbia Basin salmon – and one of most endangered populations on the planet. In each of the last two years, less than a dozen have returned to their natal spawning grounds in the Stanley Basin in central Idaho.

Snake River steelhead – highly sought-after by recreational fishermen and a valuable natural resource especially in many small rural communities in the Idaho and elsewhere in the Northwest – are not faring much better. The number of A-run steelhead that are expected pass from July through August is just 46 percent of the 10-year average, while the number of B-run steelhead that pass Bonneville August through October is expected to be just 24 percent of the 10-year average.

Wild salmon and steelhead in the Columbia-Snake Basin all face a deep decline that is pressing them ever closer to extinction. With these fish in trouble, so are the communities, economies, ecosystems and other species that depend on them. To protect and restore these iconic and instrumental fish, we must restore and reconnect their river systems. Where we have done this – the Elwha (WA), Sandy (OR), Carmel (CA) and Penobscot (ME), rivers recover and so do their wild, native fish populations.

For further information:

CBB: Snake River Sockeye Run Lowest In More Than A Decade, Currently 6 Percent Of 10-Year Average (August 8, 2019)

Boise Weekly: Salmon Runs in 2019 Expected to Be Lower Than 2017, 2018 (August 7, 2019)

Idaho Statesman: Idaho fisheries managers forecast poor steelhead return (July 28, 2019)

 6. 'DAMMED TO EXTINCTION’ RECEIVING CRITICAL ACCLAIM, INSPIRING AND MOBILIZING THE PUBLIC

The documentary Dammed to Extinction exploring the urgent plight of Southern Resident orcas and their need for many more chinook salmon in Northwest coastal waters continues to draw big crowds. And Dammed to Extinction is getting noticed by film festivals as well! It has been accepted into numerous film festivals, including the Anderson Island Film Festival (WA), Gig Harbor Film Festival (WA), Eugene Environmental Film Festival (OR)  EcoFilm Festival (OR) and – most notably – the Wildlife Conservation Film Festival in New York. As the film gains a higher profile, so will the plight of the Southern Resident orca and the pressure for leadership on policymakers to take act before it is too late.

The film focuses on orca researcher Ken Balcomb and other experts and advocates who describe this amazing community of whales and explain how the four dams on the lower Snake River have choked off access to immense, pristine habitats for the once-abundant spring, summer and fall Chinook populations.

SOS and our partners and allies are working with the makers of Dammed to Extinction to host screenings around the Northwest, inspiring audience members through the film’s incredible cinematography and storytelling, along with the disheartening tragedies facing both the whales and the salmon. Movie-goers have sent in hundreds of postcards and made phone calls to Northwest policymakers calling for their leadership to bring people together and craft a plan that restores the lower Snake River, that invests in affected communities, and that gives endangered wild salmon and Southern Resident orca a fighting chance to survive and recover.

Have you been trying to see the film, but not able to attend a screening? Do not fret! The film will eventually be available online. In the meantime, make sure to frequently check our list of screenings to find the next showing near to you.

For further information:

Crosscut: A new film argues Lower Snake dams make life worse for salmon, orcas and everyone in the PNW (August 13, 2019)

Dammed to Extinction website

7. ACT NOW! HOW YOU CAN HELP ENDANGERED SALMON AND ORCA TODAY.

Here are several of SOS’ current alerts. Elected leaders in the Northwest need to hear from you today. Please call and write. Please share with your friends and family.

Northwest needs leadership NOW!Contact the governors and congress members of Washington and Oregon and tell them that salmon, orca, and Northwest people need a plan that invests in restoring our iconic species and investing in our local communities!

Spill Public Input in Oregon and Washington:Both Washington and Oregon have proposed to make rule changes to allow for increased spill of water over the federal dams on the Columbia River to help juvenile salmon on their outmigration from the rivers to the ocean. Tell them that you support increased spill for salmon survival! Click here to sign the petition!

Have questions? Have ideas? Want to get move involved? Reach out to Angela or Carrie today

1. Salmon Battle in Court Moves Forward - hearing on President Obama's plan set for May 9

2. Confirmed: Fish Like Water! - federal agencies commit to water over dams, "spill" remains off latest plan.

3. The Greatest Migration rolls on -could this awesome film be coming to your town?

4. Recovering a Lost River - great new book on Columbia and Snake River salmon.

5. Media Roundup - latest news on Columbia-Snake salmon.

***SPECIAL PREVIEW of the upcoming documentary on PBS' Nature - "Salmon: Running the Gauntlet"

Hearing on President Obama's plan set for May 9. Salmon and fishing advocates – and many others – are gearing up for the next major installment in the long-running effort to build durable solutions for wild salmon. Since the early 1990s, when Snake River sockeye became the first Pacific salmon population to be listed under the Endangered Species Act, salmon advocates from across the country have put pressure on federal agencies, big power companies, and other river industrialists to restore the health of the Columbia and Snake Rivers and its wild salmon and steelhead populations. Three federal salmon plans in the last two decades have been ruled inadequate and illegal. The contents of this latest plan, the 2010 Biological Opinion for the Columbia and Snake Rivers, promises only to perpetuate the mistakes and failures of the past: It ignores or circumvents the best science; it allows salmon to remain at continued risk of extinction; it fails to meet the needs of our economy and the needs of tribal and non-tribal fishing businesses and communities; and it will not restore the important ecological role that salmon play in the Northwest – like feeding salmon-eating orcas that are literally starving to death today. U.S. District Court Judge James Redden has set May 9 as the date for “oral arguments” - when federal agencies square off with salmon advocates in the courtroom to debate the merits – or lack thereof – of the 2010 Obama Salmon Plan for the Columbia and Snake Rivers. A final ruling from the court on the adequacy of the plan is expected later this year. For a review of the plan, assessments of its value, and how we got to where we are:
The Science and the Law in the Obama Administration's Columbia-Snake Salmon Plan.

Federal agencies commit to ‘spill’ water over dams to help salmon and steelhead during their spring migration this year. But despite scientific support, the government does not make spill a guaranteed, permanent part of the federal salmon plan. Out-migrating juvenile Columbia and Snake River salmon and steelhead will get a much-needed boost this spring - thanks to the successful advocacy of the Nez Perce Tribe and the State of Oregon to retain court-ordered levels of water spilled over federal dams during the 2011 spring salmon migration.   “Spill” has been a key reason for recently improved salmon returns, although numbers are still far below levels needed to sustain healthy salmon populations. Federal dam agencies announced last month that they would provide spill this spring that gets closer to the levels ordered by U.S. District Court Judge James Redden for the last five years. Earlier in the year, the dam agencies once again sought to cut back court-ordered spill in favor of generating additional hydropower this spring.  Oregon and the Nez Perce Tribe led the effort among federal, state, and tribal salmon managers to retain prior spill levels.

Pivotal new book on Columbia-Snake River Basin by Steve Hawley Author Steve Hawley releases a new book on Columbia and Snake Rivers, providing "a powerful argument for why dam removal makes good scientific, economic, and environmental sense—and requires our urgent attention." The book Recovering a Lost River: Removing Dams, Rewilding Salmon, Revitalizing Communities is available online at Powell's Books. In the Pacific Northwest, the Snake River and its wilderness tributaries were once among the world’s greatest salmon rivers. As recently as a half-century ago, they retained some of their historic bounty, with millions of fish returning to spawn. Now, due to four federal dams, Snake River salmon populations have dropped close to extinction. Expensive efforts to recover salmon with fish ladders, hatcheries, and even trucking and barging them around the dams have failed. Steven Hawley, journalist and self-proclaimed “river rat,” argues that the best hope for the Snake River lies in dam removal, a solution that pits powerful energy interests and Army Corps of Engineers against a coalition of Indian tribes, fishermen and women, clean energy advocates, and outdoor recreation companies along with hundreds of other businesses. Hawley demonstrates how the river’s health is closely connected to local economies, water rights, energy independence—and even the health of endangered orca whales in Puget Sound. The story of the Snake River, its salmon, and its people raises the fundamental questions of who should exercise control over natural resources and which interests should receive highest priority. It also offers surprising counterpoints to the notion of hydropower as a cheap, green, and reliable source of energy, and challenges the wisdom of heavily subsidized water and electricity. This regional battle is part of an ambitious river restoration movement that stretches across the country from Maine’s Kennebec to California’s Klamath, and engages citizens from a broad social spectrum. In one successful project, the salmon of Butte Creek rebounded from a paltry fourteen fish to twenty thousand within just a few years of rewilding their river, showing the incredible resiliency of nature when given the opportunity. Recovering a Lost Riverdepicts the compelling arguments and actions being made on behalf of salmon and fishing communities by a growing army of river advocates. Their message, persistent but disarmingly simple, is that all salmon need is clean, cold water in their rivers, and a clear way home.

5. Salmon & Rivers in the News
Lots of stories and opinions emerged over the last several weeks. 

March 4: Wet Planet Whitewater Blog by Susan Hollingsworth - Snake River Salmon Abundance: It Can Happen March 11: Scientists issue a response in the Oregonian to a recent op-ed from NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco.  
Salmon community also responds here. March 11: Congressmen DeFazio at it again (and we wish it was good news).  Read the blog here. March 12: Register Guard story “Critics say Bonneville Power drops ball while juggling its power” by Susan Palmer.  Read the story here. March 20:  Author Steve Hawley takes Congressman DeFazio head on in a letter to the Oregonian.

March 24: Students call on Congressman DeFazio.  Hundreds of students and young people call for leadership and solutions.  Read their letter here. March 29: Op-ed in the Capital Press from Brett Swift - "Fewer dams will improve Columbia-Snake river system”

IN THIS ISSUE:

A bill seeking to stymie salmon recovery in the Columbia-Snake Rivers received a House Congressional hearing October 12th. Spearheaded by eastern Washington’s Congresswoman Cathy McMorris-Rodgers, H.R. 3144 would put in place the illegal 2014 Salmon Plan ruled invalid by Judge Simon last year, rollback the court-ordered expansion of spill, and derail the ongoing agency efforts to develop new analyses and recovery alternatives—including dam removal—to restore wild salmon in the basin. If that weren’t enough, the bill also prevents federal agencies from even studying dam removal or spilling additional water at the dams, a very necessary and effective measure for giving young salmon an easier ride down the river during the spring migration to the ocean. Read a fact sheet about the bill here.

Salmon advocates were allowed one witness at a table of utility industry executives who refused even to acknowledge that the Columbia and Snake River dams harm wild salmon and steelhead runs. Dam proponents, including utility representatives and Rep. McMorris-Rodgers herself, claimed salmon were doing better today than before the dams. Did they somehow miss the headlines this summer on the dismally low runs and shut down fisheries?

Liz Hamilton, Executive Director for the Northwest Sportfishing Industry Association, did a great job speaking on behalf of fish and fishing people. She set the record straight on the impacts of dams on wild salmon & steelhead and the absolute necessity for spilling additional water over the dams. She spoke forcefully about the real-world effects of the dismally low salmon & steelhead returns this season, about lost income to fishing businesses and curtailed revenues to small towns.

There was no vote on H.R. 3144. So far, Rep. McMorris-Rodgers has not garnered widespread support for bill. SOS is working with its allied organizations to educated elected leaders and the public on why this bill is bad policy. It hurts salmon in the short-term and thwarts ongoing efforts to develop a plan that restores salmon and resolves the crisis.

We need to keep pressure on Members of Congress to actively oppose H.R. 3144 and ensure that it does not find its way through Congress to become law. Read the letter more than 35 conservation and business associations sent to Northwest members of Congress this summer opposing this bill. Send it to your Reps as a reminder. Call them. Take action online below...Thank you.

Here's how you can help:

ACTION ALERT (WA, OR, ID residents): Contact NW elected officials: Oppose HR 3144 - Bad for salmon, orca and fishing communities.

Recent press coverage:

OPB: Salmon-Friendly Rulings On Columbia, Snake Dams Could Be Overturned By Congress

2. Governor Inslee raises the alarm on plight of Southern Resident Orca

Last month, in his monthly Results Washington meeting, Governor Inslee (WA) spent nearly ten minutes asking questions about the plight of the Southern Resident Orcas, including about whether we are at a critical turning point for this endangered, still-declining population.

(You can view the meeting online here. The Governor begins raising his concerns and asking questions about the Southern Residents starting at the 31-minute mark.)

Governor Inslee’s deep affection for the Southern Residents is well known. Orca advocates were elated to see him start to ask tough, focused questions about their status: Are we at a tipping point for this population? Do we need to sound the alarm? Should Washington State do more now to protect them?

The answer of course is YES. The Northwest’s resident orca population is in deep trouble. Several  whales have died or disappeared in just the last year, including young calves, reproducing mothers, and the population’s 100 year-old matriach, Granny. Despite being “protected” under the Endangered Species Act in 2005, the population continues to decline. It is at a 30-year low today, with just 76 individuals remaining.

Research has taught us much in recent years to inform and focus urgently-needed conservation efforts. These orcas rely significantly on chinook salmon for their diet. Satellite-tagging data, direct observation and the analysis of fecal samples make clear that these orca spend significant amounts of time on the Washington State coast and at the mouth of the Columbia River feeding of adult chinook that gather there before heading upriver to spawn in their natal streams.

Hormone analyses from fecal sample demonstrate that all three pods – the J’s, K’s and L’s – suffer from “nutritional stress” at various times of the year. The orca are starving - and this is leading to both early deaths of individual whales and an alarmingly high rate of spontaneous abortions.

These orca rely on salmon from many river systems across the West Coast, but the Columbia-Snake system and its salmon can play a critical role producing the large numbers of chinook that these orca need. This will not be realized, however, without “a major overhaul” of the federal system of dams and reservoirs in the lower Columbia and lower Snake Rivers. In the very near-term, federal dam agencies need to increase spill in the spring and summer to increase the survival of juvenile salmon as they migrate to the Pacific Ocean. Several years from now, with a plan in place, we need to remove the four, costly, out-dated, and deadly dams on the lower Snake River. This project represents our nation’s largest river and salmon restoration opportunity – one that can also save public dollars, create many jobs as it also restores endangered fisheries and delivers an essential food source to hungry killer whales. A win-win-win for salmon, orca and people.