Tag Archives: Snake River dams

Dammed to Extinction — July 11, 2019

This inspiring film reveals the obvious way to stop decades of ever increasing
ecological devastation and financial misappropriation.

RSVP Donations at Evenbright

Sign the Petition to Breach the Dams

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About this Event

As the salmon numbers plummet and orcas starve, weak political will remains the status quo. Four obsolete dams on the lower Snake River kill hundreds of salmon per every megawatt of hydropower produced. These fish killing dams never were an environmentally friendly decision, and with renewable resources on the rise are no longer economically sound. Breaching these dams will not only save salmon and orca, but millions of taxpayer and ratepayer dollars.

You will also hear the story of a Palouse tribal elder from eastern Washington who courageously refuses to let the injustice of constructing the dams go untold. Carrie Chapman Nightwalker Schuster’s family home was drowned by the construction of Ice Harbor Dam, completed in 1961. Since her childhood she has fought valiantly to maintain and restore Palouse culture, language, and land, some of which lies under the reservoir behind Ice Harbor Dam. Carrie gives the vision of steadfast grit to all who take up the mission to “Free the Snake.”

Special Sneak Preview Showing

“Dammed to Extinction”

Port Townsend — May 4th — 3:45 p.m., doors open 3:30 p.m.

The Wheeler Theater, Fort Worden Conference Center

Four obsolete dams choke off access to thousands of miles of rivers.
Removing these dams will save money, salmon and endangered orcas.
I’d like to watch the movie trailer . . .

$10 general admission, tickets on-line at Brown Paper Tickets

Post-film Discussion

This event features a post-film discussion with Director Michael Peterson, and Cast Members Carrie Chapman Nightwalker Schuster and Jim Waddell.

Michael Peterson, Director – Carrie Schuster, Palouse Elder – Jim Waddell, Ret. US Army Corps of Engineers

Peterson-Hawley Productions 2019. This special preview is part of the Global Earth Repair Conference.

Petition: Breach the LSRDs in 2019

Let’s get to 1 million signatures! Spread the word!

tinyurl.com/timeisout

Rep. Kilmer: listen to science, our young people, and your heart

It was back-to-back activism yesterday at Rep. Derek Kilmer’s office in Port Angeles.

First, the North Olympic Orca Pod hosted a die-in and delivered a letter outlining 23 scientific articles supporting the immediate breaching of the lower Snake River dams.

OCA members delivered our own letter to Kilmer and described the promise offered by the Green New Deal to remake the Lower Snake River watershed into a showcase for clean energy, green jobs, restorative agriculture, recreation, and carbon sequestration, rather than a cesspool for salmon mortality and methane production.

Orca Kilmer die-in
OCA delivers letter to Kilmer re LSRDs

Then, the new Sunrise Movement Olympic Peninsula hub hosted a meeting at Kilmer’s office to express concern that our Representative has had several months to ponder what Congress should be doing to solve the climate crisis, and has yet to speak or act. Time to step up!

Both groups asked to meet with Kilmer next time he’s home.

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Locals speak out about orcas & LSRDs

“Injustice to the natural world”

Kilmer is backwards on science vs. politics & the LSRDs

Snake River dam breaching would be a simple affair

“Look to our souls” for the courage to do what’s right

Breach the LSRDs now. Not next year. Now.

At the direction of our membership at our February 3 meeting, OCA sent letters to Governor Inslee, our District 24 State Representatives, and Rep. Derek Kilmer about both the necessity and feasibility of breaching the lower 4 Snake River Dams this year. Nothing would prevent this from happening if we recognized the true dire straits our Southern Resident Orcas are in, and none of the recommendations of the Governor’s Orca Task Force would have as immediate and beneficial an impact as this one thing. Here’s the letter we sent to Gov. Inslee:  OCA to Inslee 2-15-19

And here’s a letter being hand-delivered by our friends at the North Olympic Orca Pod to Rep. Derek Kilmer on Feb. 27:  NOOP to Kilmer 2-27-19

 

BREACH THE SNAKE RIVER DAMS THIS YEAR!

Read the entire story . . .

Gather for orcas in Olympia Nov. 16

An important rally for the orcas is scheduled at the Capitol complex in Olympia on Nov. 16, 2-5 pm.  There will be representations of all 74 living wild Southern Resident Killer Whales, plus Tokitae, aka “Lolita,” held in captivity at Miami Seaquarium.

Nov 16 is when the Orca Task Force final recommendations go to Governor Inslee.  The rally is to support breaching the Lower Snake River Dams a.s.a.p. for the sake of our salmon and orcas!

There is a big need for people to hold one of the 75 orca replicas. Interested people should let the organizers know they want to hold an orca by posting on the event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/254931905370101/

Event poster:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JIu1idaBW6zNejmqu3igFrYRqz4uNc9I/view?usp=sharing

Here is a site for both drivers and passengers to carpool to the event: https://www.groupcarpool.com/t/9yo54z

Save our orcas, climate, and dollars: free the Snake!

At our August 5 general meeting, OCA members by consensus adopted a resolution calling for the immediate removal of the four lower Snake River Dams and their replacement by clean power. Removing the lower 4 Snake River Dams will benefit the Pacific Northwest in several ways:

  • Freeing the Snake River ensures restoration of fish populations and marine ecosystems. Lack of chinook salmon from the Columbia River system is a principal reason for the decline of the Southern Resident Orcas.
  • A flowing river will invite local community and tourist recreation.
  • Land reclamation provides ground for new agricultural development with its jobs.
  • Tax and ratepayers will no longer pay for unnecessary, underperforming dams and the future burden of maintenance costs. These dams have outlived their initial intended purpose and are becoming a cost-prohibitive maintenance issue.
  • Energy output from these dams is not required to support the grid, and subsidies to this inefficient technology suppresses available clean energy capacity.

DamSense.org/ – comprehensive, in-depth website devoted to the issue

Orca facts from the Center for Whale Research

Southern Resident Killer Whale Synopsis – Debra Ellers, North Olympic Orca Pod

The Case for Breaching the 4 Lower Snake River Dams – Orca Network

Comments to Orca Task Force from the President of Advocates for the West in Idaho

Greenhouse Gas Impacts of the L4SRDs – John Twa, Mechanical Engineer

Ratepayers subsidize dirty power from the L4SRDs while better green power is available

Seattle Times: Controversy over orcas vs. dams

Actions to save the Orcas, from 350 Seattle: Call Governor Inslee at 360-902-4111 and ask him to take action immediately. Thank him for working to protect orcas, and tell him you support stronger action, now, without delay:

  • Issue an emergency moratorium on new fossil fuel traffic in the Salish Sea.
  • Define a rigorous and mandatory ‘Oil Spill Clean Up Rate’ to stop Trans Mountain tar sands crude oil from coming through Washington State.
  • Stop fuel exports at March Point and Cherry Point, and the construction of the LNG facility in Tacoma.
  • Stand in support of Whatcom County’s existing moratorium on new fossil fuel infrastructure.
  • Call on BC Premier John Horgan take swift action against fish farms.
  • Restore Chinook spawning grounds by breaching of the lower four Snake River dams.

Online petitions:

Whom to call or contact and ways to provide your opinion: Sample comments and link here: “Public Feedback: Southern Resident Killer Whale Recovery and Task Force” https://bit.ly/2McBcFT

Governor J. Inslee
phone: (360) 902-4111
e-message: https://bit.ly/2F7AWDN

Twitter: https://twitter.com/GovInslee

 

Senator Patty Murray (425) 259-6515
fax: (509) 624-9561
e-message: https://bit.ly/2jsVl8T

Twitter: https://twitter.com/PattyMurray

 

Senator Maria Cantwell (202) 224-3441
fax: (202) 228-0514
e-message: https://bit.ly/2lzQshJ

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SenatorCantwell

 

NOAA, Barry Thom (503) 231-6266

 

Please tell the Army Corps of Engineers to supplement the 2002 EIS promptly and use Alternative 4 to breach the 4 Lower Snake River Dams in 2018.

 

US Army Corps of Engineers (202) 761-0000

Lt. General Todd T. Semonite
Commander and Chief of Engineers

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
441 G Street NW
Washington, DC 20314-1000

Northwest Division, USACE

Brigadier General Helmlinger
PO Box 2870
Portland OR 97208-2870
503-808-3800

Save our orcas, climate, and dollars – Free the Snake!

At our August 5 general meeting, OCA members by consensus adopted a resolution calling for the immediate removal of the four lower Snake River Dams and their replacement by clean power. Removing the lower 4 Snake River Dams will benefit the Pacific Northwest in several ways:

  • Freeing the Snake River ensures restoration of fish populations and marine ecosystems. Lack of chinook salmon from the Columbia River system is a principal reason for the decline of the Southern Resident Orcas.
  • A flowing river will invite local community and tourist recreation.
  • Land reclamation provides ground for new agricultural development with its jobs.
  • Tax and ratepayers will no longer pay for unnecessary, underperforming dams and the future burden of maintenance costs. These dams have outlived their initial intended purpose and are becoming a cost-prohibitive maintenance issue.
  • Energy output from these dams is not required to support the grid, and subsidies to this inefficient technology suppresses available clean energy capacity.

https://damsense.org/ – comprehensive, in-depth website devoted to the issue

The Case for Breaching the 4 Lower Snake River Dams – Orca Network

Greenhouse Gas Impacts of the L4SRDs – John Twa, Mechanical Engineer

Green Power Is Available Now to Replace the L4SRDs–In Fact, Ratepayers Are Subsidizing an Inferior Technology –

Southern Resident Killer Whale Synopsis – Debra Ellers, North Olympic Orca Pod

Seattle Times: Controversy over orcas vs. dams

David James Duncan on Freeing the Snake River from Mark Titus on Vimeo.

Actions to save the Orcas, from 350 Seattle: Call Governor Inslee at 360-902-4111 and ask him to take action immediately. Thank him for working to protect orcas, and tell him you support stronger action, now, without delay:

  • Issue an emergency moratorium on new fossil fuel traffic in the Salish Sea.
  • Define a rigorous and mandatory ‘Oil Spill Clean Up Rate’ to stop Trans Mountain tar sands crude oil from coming through Washington State.
  • Stop fuel exports at March Point and Cherry Point, and the construction of the LNG facility in Tacoma.
  • Stand in support of Whatcom County’s existing moratorium on new fossil fuel infrastructure.
  • Call on BC Premier John Horgan take swift action against fish farms.
  • Restore Chinook spawning grounds by breaching of the lower four Snake River dams.

Online petitions:

Whom to call or contact and ways to provide your opinion: Sample comments and link here: “Public Feedback: Southern Resident Killer Whale Recovery and Task Force” https://bit.ly/2McBcFT

Governor J. Inslee
phone: (360) 902-4111
e-message: https://bit.ly/2F7AWDN

Twitter: https://twitter.com/GovInslee

Senator Patty Murray (425) 259-6515
fax: (509) 624-9561
e-message: https://bit.ly/2jsVl8T

Twitter: https://twitter.com/PattyMurray

Senator Maria Cantwell (202) 224-3441
fax: (202) 228-0514
e-message: https://bit.ly/2lzQshJ

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SenatorCantwell

NOAA, Barry Thom (503) 231-6266

Please tell the Army Corps of Engineers to supplement the 2002 EIS promptly and use Alternative 4 to breach the 4 Lower Snake River Dams in 2018.

US Army Corps of Engineers (202) 761-0000

Lt. General Todd T. Semonite
Commander and Chief of Engineers
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
441 G Street NW
Washington, DC 20314-1000

Northwest Division, USACE
Brigadier General Helmlinger
PO Box 2870
Portland OR 97208-2870
503-808-3800