Greetings,
As we head toward the holidays and the end of another year (gulp!), we wanted to share with you three recent stories/news that our team at SOS found inspiring.
ONE: The first installment in a new two-part series from Lewiston Morning Tribune’s award-winning reporter Eric Barker. This series is exploring the circumstances today around the newly restored Elwha River on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State and the John Day River, an important tributary to the Columbia River close to the Snake River in northeast Oregon. This River Road Trip series is taking a close look at these two very different rivers and reflect upon what lessons might be learned as our region takes a serious look at restoring lower Snake River in the months ahead.
In River Road Trip Part 1 – The Elwha River: When dams fell, salmon returned, Mr. Barker spends time listening to and learning from members of the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe and several federal and independent scientists, all of whom are deeply involved in restoring the historic, once-highly productive (high fish diversity) Elwha River.
TWO: John Gussman, a denizen of the Olympic Peninsula, has spent years recording with photos and video the transformation of the Elwha River system before, during and after removal of its two century-old dams. With Jessica Plumb, John produced a beautiful film in 2014 about the Elwha called Return of the River. Most recently, he’s posted this moving 5-minute video – The Path Home – featuring amazing footage of this year’s return of pink salmon to the Dungeness River (also on the Peninsula, not far from the Elwha). This short video is accompanied by a Native American story about how the salmon got their hooked noses, told by Jamestown S’Klallam storyteller Elaine Grinnell. Watch here.
THREE: This image to the right was recently published by David Horsey, cartoonist and commentator at the Seattle Times. The stark image speaks volumes about our current moment, but his accompanying commentary is timely, forward-looking and hopeful.
You can read his commentary and see the image here on the Seattle Times website.
With your strong support and advocacy, we’ve made 2021 a truly pivotal year for the Snake River, its endangered fish and the irreplaceable benefits they bring to the Northwest and nation.
We are at the crossroads today. We must decide – and act – to remove four dams to restore health and resilience, and salmon and steelhead, to the historic Snake River. The choice is clear: it’s extinction or it’s restoration.
Working together, let’s make 2022 a year of great consequence for the Snake River, endangered salmon and orcas, justice and Northwest communities.
Please consider making a generous tax-deductible donation to SOS before Dec. 31st to help ensure we have the resources we need to seize this opportunity, to support our talented team, and to advance our ambitious plans in 2022! Reach out if you have questions or would like to learn more about what’s ahead.
Thank you for all you do! Take good care,
Joseph Bogaard, joseph@wildsalmon.org
Sam Mace, sam@wildsalmon.org
Carrie Herrman, carrie@wildsalmon.org
P.S. – Right now, we’re about halfway toward meeting a year-end $30K match challenge! You can help us meet this match by giving online or sending a check via US Post:
Save Our wild Salmon
811 First Ave., Suite 305
Seattle, WA 98104
Olympic Climate Action 
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