URGENT

Protect Wildlife

Help Orcas and Salmon

Every winter, endangered Southern Resident orcas gather at the mouth of the Columbia River and wait to feed on the famous Chinook salmon runs.

But an extensive network of dams on the lower Columbia and lower Snake rivers has caused salmon populations to plummet – and with them, a major source of the Southern Resident orcas’ food. In an outrageous move, one Washington Congresswoman is catering to the energy interests that sell the power from these dams by proposing to make it illegal to consider one of our best options for reviving salmon populations.

Act Now: Tell your representatives that science – NOT special interests – should dictate the future of wildlife like orcas and salmon.

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Dear Representative,

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I am writing to urge you to oppose H.R. 3144, an irresponsible bill introduced by Congresswoman Cathy McMorris-Rodgers (R-Spokane) that would make it illegal to evaluate the costs, benefits and trade-offs associated with increasing spill at the federal dams in the Columbia Basin. This bill would also prevent any study about the feasibility of removing the lower Snake River dams in southeast Washington.

This bill would circumvent multiple court decisions and undermine major federal environmental laws, including the Endangered Species Act. H.R. 3144 would move the Northwest and the nation backwards. Hydropower management in the Columbia Basin is in desperate need of reform to recover salmon, and the benefits of reform would extend to orcas, Native American tribes and fishing communities that depend on the survival of the fish and the ecosystem.

For these reasons, I urge you to oppose H.R. 3144 and support open, collaborative processes that can find solutions to benefit salmon, orcas and people.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
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