Patagonia Salmon Alert

Swimming thousands of miles and climbing mountains en route to their natal streams, the epic wild salmon are nature's true outdoor adventurers. Now, because of the four dams on the Lower Snake River, these Pacific Northwest fish are in danger of extinction and President Bush's policies are keeping salmon in hot water. We have a window of opportunity to encourage President Bush to do the right thing -- remove the four lower Snake River dams and save wild salmon from extinction. Take Action TODAY!

Sample Letter for Campaign

Subject: Remove Four Snake River Dams

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

As an American who cares for the outdoors, I am writing to urge you to remove the four Lower Snake River dams to restore one of our nation's most important natural resources--the once-mighty wild salmon.

The legendary wild salmon of the Snake and Columbia rivers, which have fed Native Americans for thousands of years have proven a great boon to the Pacific Northwest and the nation. But wild salmon are on the brink of extinction today and they need your help.

So far, your administration has failed to implement existing salmon restoration measures while simultaneously disabling fundamental laws and treaties. A federal court judge recently ordered your agencies to rewrite the Federal Salmon Plan, finding your current plan insufficient and illegal. Meanwhile, your Administration's operation of the four dams on the lower Snake River caused violations of Clean Water Act standards for 63 consecutive days this summer, rendering the river lethal for salmon.

Billions of dollars have been squandered on futile efforts such as trucking young salmon around the dams. With the infrastructure and enforcement of their protection deteriorating, the salmon are in trouble.

I want to reap the incalculable benefits of cool, free-flowing rivers and healthy fish and wildlife. Whether it's fishing, swimming, rafting, or simply enjoying the landscape's natural beauty, outdoor recreation is a crucial part of our economy. Each fishing rod, each paddle, each photograph adds to the economic potential of our country. So, too, do the wild salmon, whose contributions to our country go beyond any currency. That is why I urge you to implement the most scientifically credible and economically prudent salmon restoration measure -- removal of the four lower Snake River dams.

Salmon are a stimulus for our rural economies, a symbol of national endurance, a keystone of our fragile ecosystems, and they play a vital role in our nation's heritage.

I call on you to include removal of the four lower Snake River dams as a mandatory recovery action in your new Federal Salmon Plan. In addition, please help Congress pass the Salmon Planning Act (H.R. 1097). This legislation seeks economic and scientific answers, so that the proper preparations can be made for removal of those dams.

Please include my letter in the formal comment period during your re-write of the Federal Salmon Plan; i.e., FCRPS Biological Opinion. Please let me know your position on this important issue.

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
October 28, 2003


Background Information

The Pacific Northwest's wild salmon are a cornerstone of our ecology and culture, and they are a vital economic engine for rural communities.

When the four lower Snake River dams were built in the 1960s and 1970s, wild salmon populations plummeted and human communities have suffered. Today, all species of Snake River salmon are either extinct, endangered, or threatened. In fact, this year only three sockeye salmon made it back to their home waters of Redfish Lake in Idaho, named for these colorful fishes' once-abundant numbers.

Rather than improve the water quality in the Snake River this summer, the Bush Administration operated the four Lower Snake River dams in a way that resulted in extremely high water temperatures--making it lethal for salmon. In fact, one of the Snake River dams violated Clean Water Act standards for 63 consecutive days. Salmon are literally in 'hot water.'

Over $3.5 billion has been spent on failed salmon recovery measures -- like trucking salmon around dams -- but biologists agree that removal of the four lower Snake River dams is the best recovery measure for salmon.

The four lower Snake River dams only provide a small amount of electricity - -roughly four percent of the Northwest's power, zero flood control, and a minimal amount of irrigation. The dams were originally built to create a barge transportation system that would allow crops to be shipped downriver. With today's technology, those crops could easily be shifted to train or truck.

The bottom line is that we can easily replace the minimal benefits of those four dams, but we can never replace the wild salmon once they've gone extinct.