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Tag Archives: Snake River dams
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.
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.
Locals speak out about orcas & LSRDs
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!
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:
- Sound the Alarm for Orcas (EarthJustice): https://bit.ly/2Ov8b59
- GOVERNOR INSLEE: ORCA NEED BOLD, IMMEDIATE ACTION” (American Rivers) https://bit.ly/2w6V2HH
- Question the Orca Task Force, Change..org: https://bit.ly/2mNV0jN
- Remove Snake River Dams & Save Salmon from Extinction” (to Army Corps of Eng.): https://bit.ly/2yrgR8r
- Endangered Species Coalition: https://bit.ly/2vaUj93
- Center for Biological Diversity: https://bit.ly/2LCkgYc
- Oceana: https://bit.ly/2Ax48mF
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
