By Bill Arthur, Vice Chair Conservation Committee
Governor Inslee’s office is sponsoring a first-of-its-kind conversation in Washington State about the future of the lower Snake River. The discussion will cover the four federal dams, the importance of our endangered salmon and steelhead populations to orca recovery, and the benefits these species deliver to people and ecosystems. Washington State began its Lower Snake River Stakeholder Process last summer after a recommendation from Gov. Inslee’s Orca Recovery Task Force in 2018. It was later endorsed by the governor and funded by the state legislature last April.
A primary purpose of the Stakeholder process is to facilitate a constructive dialogue among stakeholders, policymakers, and the public to better understand the costs, benefits, and tradeoffs of restoring the lower Snake River by removing its four dams. The discussion will pay particular attention to the types of investments that will be needed to ensure that all affected interests come through this transition together. A draft report summarizing information from 90+ interviews with stakeholders, sovereigns, and input from the public is due for release on December 20, with a final report expected in March.
TAKE ACTION NOW - Gov. Inslee wants to hear from you!
Please complete the online questionnaire here.
This is an important opportunity to speak for our iconic Northwest species and find solutions that work for all affected interests. PLEASE take a few minutes to fill it out – our orca and salmon need us.
The questionnaire begins by collecting basic demographic information, including one’s zip code; it is anonymous. It has eight topic areas ranging from salmon and steelhead, agriculture, energy economics, etc.
Each one starts with a brief statement, followed by three multiple-choice questions:
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Do you agree/disagree?
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How will keeping the dams affect this topic area?
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How will removing the dams affect this topic area?
Each topic area concludes with a comment box (maximum 600 characters) where you can explain your perspective, offer advice, etc. Given the limitation of multiple-choice questions, the comment box is the most important part of this questionnaire.
SUGGESTED THEMES: The most important themes for you to communicate in this questionnaire:
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We must act now to restore the lower Snake River and in a manner that meets the needs of salmon, people, and orca; problems created by dam removal must be addressed with a comprehensive solution.
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Northwest public officials must support and convene stakeholders and agencies to develop a robust plan to remove the lower Snake River dams AND invest in affected communities to assure energy, irrigation, and transportation issues are addressed and leverage the real economic and community opportunities created by restoring the lower Snake River.
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Effective solutions on the lower Snake River must meet these criteria:
- recover Snake River salmon and help critically endangered orca
- invest in affected communities to ensure everybody moves forward together and no one is left behind
- support a reliable, clean, and affordable regional energy system.
Completing the questionnaire’s comment boxes using your own words will have the greatest impact. We encourage a constructive, collaborative tone while highlighting the great urgency for leadership and action to help endangered salmon and orca, and invest in the important community transitions.
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We must act now. All remaining Snake River salmon and steelhead populations are in deep trouble – 2019 adult returns were some of the lowest on record. Southern Resident orcas face extinction due to a lack of their main prey – Chinook salmon. We must act urgently and boldly – or we will lose these iconic Northwest species forever.
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The science supports restoring the lower Snake River by removing its dams to protect and recover wild salmon and steelhead.
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Political leadership is urgently needed in Washington State and the Northwest to develop a collaborative plan that removes these four federal dams and invests in affected communities. An effective plan must bring everyone forward together.
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It is critical that a robust dam removal transition plan includes economic development and other investments to maintain reliable and affordable energy, irrigation and transportation services, Just Transitions, and other elements to responsibly transition affected communities as needed.
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The latest analyses show that the dams’ energy, irrigation, and transportation services can be replaced cleanly and affordably, and will result in big net economic and community benefits locally and regionally.
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The status quo is unacceptable. Risk and uncertainty are high for salmon, orca, and our communities. The federal government’s current approach is not working for salmon, orca, or our fishing and farming communities. Taxpayers and regional ratepayers have spent $15B on five illegal Columbia Basin salmon plans over 25+ years but failed to recover a single endangered population. A new approach is urgently needed.
Thank you for speaking up on behalf of our iconic Northwest species!
Further resources: Washington’s LSR Stakeholder process – http://lsrdstakeholderprocess.org