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Time is Running Out to Save Our Salmon by Ann Christensen Idaho Mountain Express, October 4, 2023

Salmon bring the nutrients of the Pacific ocean to the Sawtooth ecosystem,
but, at a return rate of just 1-2%, they are on a rapid path to extinction

We have a brief window of opportunity to save Idaho's salmon from extinction.

President Biden has signed a Presidential Memorandum "to prioritize the restoration of healthy and abundant wild salmon, steelhead, and other native fish populations to the Columbia River Basin. The memorandum is part of the Administration's commitment to honor the United States' obligations to Tribal Nations and restore America's natural wonders for future generations, while also recognizing the important co-benefits that the Columbia River provides to communities and businesses throughout the region."

Idaho's salmon come farther and higher than any salmon on earth, to a cold water refuge that gives them a chance for recovery if we act now. These iconic fish leave Idaho as small fingerlings and return to their home waters 900 miles inland, up 7,000 feet, over eight dams, bringing the nutrients of the Pacific ocean to the Sawtooth ecosystem, but, at a return rate of just 1-2%, they are on a rapid path to extinction.

The science is clear. Longtime salmon champion Pat Ford points to the authoritative science of the Comparative Survival Study by state, tribal, and federal fish agencies and the Fish Passage Center: removing the four lower Snake River dams and optimal spill at the four Columbia dams "will increase the survival rate of central Idaho's Chinook and could restore them to their early 1970s average." The Presidential Memorandum would be delivered upon, as would the fishing and hunting rights promised to the tribes by the 1855 treaty. With Congressman Mike Simpson's salmon plan, any loss of services provided by the dams will be mitigated.

Please call the White House at 202-456-1111 and thank the Biden-Harris Administration for their words, but tell them that NOW it is time for ACTION. Our salmon have no time left. The lower Snake River dams must be removed now.

Related Pages:
Restoring the Snake River Would Give Us Pride and Joy by David Cannamela, Idaho Mountain Express, 3/23/22