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Tell Rep. Baird to Protect Salmon and Science!
The National Marine Fisheries Service recently released a solid, science-driven plan to protect and restore imperiled salmon and other species in California's Sacramento-San Joaquin River Basin, a strong indication that the Obama Administration is headed in the right direction when it comes to protecting vital fisheries resources.
Last week however, Congressman Devin Nunes (R-CA) attempted to insert language into an appropriations bill that would have zeroed out funding to implement this plan.
Fortunately, this terrible amendment did not pass,
BUT the fact that Congressman Baird voted for the measure does not bode well for issues facing salmon and steelhead, including those in his own backyard: the Columbia and Snake Rivers. Congressman Baird's vote was a vote against sound science and the Endangered Species Act.
Act Now:
Please send the email message below to Congressman Baird or give his office a call. Express your disappointment for his support of this bad amendment. Help ensure that next time he'll vote to protect salmon, salmon-dependent communities, and science-based policy.
Congressman Baird's DC office: (202) 225-3536
| Sample Letter for Campaign |
Subject: I'm disappointed with your recent vote on Rep. Nunes' Amendment to HR 2847
Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,
I was very disappointed to learn that you voted yes on Congressman Nunes' amendment to H.R. 2847, the Commerce-Justice-Science appropriations bill for fiscal year 2010. This amendment would have prohibited NOAA Fisheries from implementing its plan to protect and restore imperiled salmon and other species in California's Central Valley.
I believe that any effort to overturn endangered species protections via congressional rider is bad public policy, and in this case, your vote was also a vote against sound, peer-reviewed science and against a vitally important plan to recover Pacific salmon and salmon-dependent communities.
Our region is home to families, communities, and businesses that have faced and will continue to face challenges related to salmon declines in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Basin. I hope you will consider supporting fishing communities, good science, and the Endangered Species Act the next time you have an opportunity to cast a vote on natural resource policies, including those directly affecting our own backyard in the Columbia and Snake Rivers.
Thank you for your time and consideration of my views.
Sincerely,
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Campaign Launched:
June 22, 2009
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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 two decades, the federal government has failed repeatedly to develop a lawful, science-based, and cost-effective 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 by as much as 90%. 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 impacting communities from California to Alaska and inland to Idaho and Nevada.
A changed political landscape - a new Administration and Congress - offers us a chance 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.
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