SALMON ALERT: Thank Senator Crapo for standing up for real salmon recovery

BREAKING NEWS: On May 29, Idaho's senior Senator Mike Crapo (R) announced his support for convening a regional stakeholder collaboration in order to resolve the Northwest salmon crisis in a manner that protects and restores salmon to healthy, fishable populations and invests in the prosperity of regional communities. He also declared that all recovery options must be 'on the table' for consideration, including the removal of the four costly and deadly dams on the lower Snake River. This is a very important breakthrough! After years of political gridlock, it is very encouraging to have Senator Crapo join other leaders in the region and recognize that the best way forward for salmon and people will be to bring together stakeholders - fishermen, farmers, energy consumers, tribal people, and others - to work collaboratively to craft a plan that protects and restores salmon, creates family wage jobs, and promotes the further development of our region's clean energy economy. Please contact Senator Crapo right now. Thank him for his active support for an inclusive, science-based, and collaborative path to salmon restoration.

Sample Letter for Campaign

Subject: Thank you for your leadership to address the Northwest salmon crisis.

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

I am writing to thank you for your recent statements in support of a science-driven stakeholder process as the next step to resolve the long-running controversy over the fate of wild salmon and steelhead in the Columbia and Snake Rivers. Only by bringing together the people, businesses, and communities who are most affected by the salmon restoration decisions that we face in the Columbia Basin can we hope to achieve a durable, fair, and effective solution that works for both wild salmon and Northwest citizens.

As you stated, the restoration of healthy, sustainable, and fishable populations of wild salmon and steelhead must be the goal of any regional collaboration. For countless generations, abundant salmon runs have served as a mainstay of our Northwest economy and culture. Properly restored, salmon can again support fishing businesses and rural communities in Idaho and across the Pacific Coast.

I also deeply appreciate your support for a collaborative process that fully considers all options, including the removal of the lower Snake River dams. Any successful process must be informed by the best available scientific and economic information. An open and honest discussion of the costs and benefits of the various recovery alternatives is a first step toward crafting an effective plan that restores salmon, creates family-wage jobs, invests in our communities, and expands the Northwest's supply of clean and affordable energy.

Working closely with the new Administration and the people of the Northwest, you and other leaders in the region have a tremendous opportunity to finally solve the Columbia and Snake River salmon crisis in a manner that serves both our wild salmon and our communities. Thank you again for prioritizing this important and challenging issue. I look forward to further progress in 2009!

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
June 04, 2009


Background Information

Wild Snake and Columbia River salmon and steelhead are at a crossroads today. Our nation faces a critical decision. We can "stay the course" - an approach that has failed both salmon and people - or chart a new path that helps both flourish.

Over the last several decades, the federal government has failed repeatedly to develop a lawful, science-based, and economical plan to restore endangered salmon and steelhead to abundance. A lack of leadership from many elected officials has left our wild salmon and West Coast communities that rely on them high and dry.

Through its inaction, the government has allowed wild salmon to swim quietly toward extinction - devastating fishing communities across the West Coast in order to preserve four costly dams on the lower Snake River. Completed in the 1970s, these dams are primarily used for barge transportation. Immediately after completion, wild Snake River salmon and steelhead populations plummeted. The best available science today demonstrates that dam removal should be at the heart of any effective recovery plan.

The impacts of the Northwest salmon crisis reach across the Pacific Coast economy, ecology and culture. Healthy salmon runs support the Northwest's unique way of life. A world-class fishery once fed the nation, generating billions of dollars in jobs and income for commercial, recreational and tribal fishing communities. But in a sharp reversal, endangered Snake River stocks now limit fishing opportunities, reducing the availability of healthy food, and crushing communities from California to Alaska and inland to Idaho and Nevada.

A changed political landscape - a new Administration and Congress - offers us a fresh opportunity to bring people together to craft an effective plan that recovers endangered wild salmon, creates family-wage jobs, invests in fishing and farming communities, and encourages the development of a clean energy economy. Using the best scientific and economic information, President Obama and Congress have an opportunity to bring together fishing, farming, and energy interests to tackle the crisis in the Columbia Basin and restore wild Snake River salmon and steelhead to healthy, abundant levels.