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Commentaries and editorials

Follow the Ripples

by Rob McCallum
Seattle Times, November 17, 2007

Regarding "Fish aficionados: Orca stripped thin" [Northwest Voices, Nov. 10]: The Columbia River and Snake River are veins of life for millions of people around the world. It would be impossible for me to count the numbers fed by these waters. Tributaries of the Columbia provide grapes, apples, corn, pears, wheat, hops, potatoes, chicken, turkey, beef and many more foods.

If you remove the dams for 87 orcas, you will starve millions of humans.

Most of your food, milk, clothing and a fair amount of your fuel come from the waters we're talking about. Corn is made into fuel for your 10 percent ethanol in your gas. Alfalfa grown in the Yakima Valley feeds my cows, which give you milk and beef.

Don't be foolish. We need the dams. We shouldn't even talk about removing them without knowing the full impact. Millions would starve, and most of the eastern side of the mountains would be out of work.

Do you want us to all move to Whidbey?

Perhaps you should look at overfishing as a cause for salmon depletion.

Related Pages:
The opinions and supporting documents are available here.
Idaho's Sockeye: FCRPS Biological Opinion NOAA Fisheries' Executive Summary, 10/31/7


Rob McCallum, cattle rancher, Grandview
Follow the Ripples
Seattle Times, November 10, 2007

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