| Dear Friend, |
| Salmon in the Pacific Northwest are in crisis. Federal dams on the Columbia and Snake Rivers have taken an enormous toll on these iconic species, and now many salmon populations are perilously close to extinction. |
| The best science shows that the single most important thing we can do to save these fish is to remove four dams on the lower Snake River — allowing salmon to migrate quickly and safely to and from the best salmon habitat remaining in the lower 48 states. That’s why Earthjustice has been pushing to remove these dams for decades, alongside Native American Tribes and others who rely on salmon. |
| After decades of fighting, we are seeing real momentum building toward a comprehensive plan to save our Snake River salmon. Now is a crucial time to push the administration to act, before it’s too late. |
| Help us push the administration to do what it takes to breach the dams. |
| At the end of the month, our litigation pause with the Biden administration is set to end. By then, the administration must unveil their comprehensive plan to restore the Snake River — or they’ll see us in court. We’re optimistic that, at long last, the administration will be ready with a good faith plan to protect the salmon and replace the services provided by the dams. |
| We need your help to push the administration, too. The White House recently released a Presidential Memorandum that establishes healthy and abundant salmon as a priority for the federal government, emphasizes the importance of upholding our Treaty obligations to Northwest Tribal Nations, and directs federal agencies to use their authority and resources to meet these goals and priorities. This is a crucial acknowledgement and directive to federal agencies to act now to restore salmon — and we need to make sure that federal agencies follow through. |
| One further step the administration needs to take is to get the Bonneville Power Administration, a federal agency which provides power throughout the Northwest, to start planning for increased salmon protections and our clean energy future. |
| Help us push the BPA to do what it takes to recover salmon. |
| Snake River salmon populations, and the highly endangered orcas that rely on them, are headed towards extinction, but we can restore thriving salmon runs and literally pump life into Northwest ecosystems if we breach four dams on the lower Snake River. The dams stop salmon from accessing millions of acres of prime spawning habitat and make the lower Snake River a lethally hot gauntlet for these fish. |
| The science is clear: Removing the lower Snake River dams and replacing the services they provide is our best chance to stop salmon extinction. It is essential in any comprehensive plan. |
| Tell the BPA to implement the necessary actions to restore health and abundant salmon and uphold commitments made to Northwest Tribes. |
