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Please thank your Representative for supporting salmon recovery and HR 3503!
On July 30 this year, the Salmon Solutions and Planning Act (HR 3503) was introduced by Congressmen Jim McDermott (D-WA) and Thomas Petri (R-WI), joined by 23 other members of Congress from across the country.
This very important legislation will, if passed, help Congress make informed decisions about salmon recovery in the Columbia Basin and the fate of the lower Snake River dams. The legislation will also authorize the Army Corps of Engineers to remove these four costly, deadly dams if it is determined necessary to protect endangered wild salmon and steelhead from extinction.
Please THANK your Member of Congress today. Too often, our elected officials only hear from us when we are asking for something. Please take a moment to send them the short note below to make sure that they understand you appreciate their leadership on this legislation and on science-based efforts to restore healthy, abundant populations of wild salmon and steelhead.
| Sample Letter for Campaign |
Subject: Thank you for your support for salmon recovery and HR 3503
Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,
I am writing to express my sincere appreciation for your support for HR 3503 - the Salmon Solutions and Planning Act.
I am very grateful for your leadership in support of crafting a lawful, science-based salmon restoration plan for the endangered wild salmon and steelhead of the Snake and Columbia Rivers.
For far too long, the federal government has wasted important time and resources on ineffective, illegal, and costly federal salmon plans. Now is the time to change course, to reinstate science as a guide to developing policy, and to bring people in the Northwest together to protect and restore salmon and steelhead in the Columbia Basin to healthy, abundant, and fishable populations.
The Salmon Solutions and Planning Act - HR 3503 - can provide Congress, the Obama Administration, and the people of the country with credible information on salmon recovery efforts, and the costs and benefits of removing the four deadly dams on the lower Snake River. The bill's provision to authorize the Army Corps of Engineers to remove these dams if deemed necessary to protect these fish from extinction is also important.
As you understand, wild salmon and steelhead are not just a valuable regional economic resource, but an irreplaceable national treasure. Salmon are a cornerstone species in the Northwest ecosystem; they provide nutritious food for people and nutrients to the natural community; they support good family-wage jobs and have sustained and defined the culture of Northwest people for a very long time.
With a commitment to put science before politics and bring people together to craft effective solutions that work for both salmon and our communities, we can restore these important fisheries to our rivers, and invest in the families, businesses and economies that rely on them. HR 3503 is a very important piece of this puzzle.
Thank you again for your leadership on this pressing natural resource issue. I look forward to continuing to work to build additional support in Congress for this legislation, to pass it into law, and to restore healthy populations of salmon and steelhead to the Snake and Columbia Rivers.
Sincerely,
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Campaign Launched:
August 15, 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 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 a chance 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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