Help Put Wild Pacific Salmon on the Road to Recovery

Action needed by 20, 2007

Right now, the federal government is allowing four costly, out-dated dams on the lower Snake River in Washington State to drive wild salmon to extinction while limiting opportunities for recreation and clean, renewable energy alternatives. Sierra Club and the Save Our Wild Salmon Coalition have launched a nationwide effort, beginning with a new website – www.GiveaDamForSalmon.org/sierraclub - to collect and deliver tens of thousands of comments in the form of letters, photos, art, and video that urge your decision-makers to...

GIVE A DAM FOR SALMON AND STEELHEAD

Resolve the Pacific salmon crisis in the Columbia and Snake Rivers.

The Columbia-Snake River basin, spanning six western states, was once home to the most abundant runs of salmon and steelhead in the world – as many as 16 million wild fish returned each year to these rivers and their tributaries. It is a very different story today: all runs of salmon and steelhead in the Snake River are either already extinct or listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act. This year, just four Snake River sockeye survived to return to their spawning grounds in the mountains of central Idaho.

Four fish.

On October 31, the federal government released their "anything-but-new" Draft Salmon Plan for the Columbia-Snake Basin. The three previous salmon plans were thrown out of federal court for violating the Endangered Species Act and failing to protect salmon and steelhead. Unfortunately, this draft is yet another blueprint for the extinction of Snake River salmon and the continued waste of billions of taxpayer dollars on inadequate, failed recovery measures. Wild pacific salmon are a national treasure – supporting ecosystems, wildlife, fishing communities and recreational opportunities. We deserve a federal salmon plan that guarantees real recovery, not another expensive path to extinction. Help us send a resounding message to Congress calling for leadership and the science-based salmon plan that recovers our imperiled salmon.

Take Action:

With your help, we can fix this: Dam removal will restore 140 river miles and reconnect salmon to more than 5,000 miles of pristine habitat. Healthy runs of salmon can again support jobs and recreation. This will be the largest river restoration project in U.S. history, an enormous win for salmon, ecosystems, and river lovers everywhere. Our success depends on grassroots voices and action in Congress. With your efforts and your Senators’ leadership, you

-Here's how you can help deliver a huge response from across the country-

STEP #1: GO TO http://www.giveadamforsalmon.org/sierraclub

Take Action - Sign onto the Comment Drive

Explore - Take a look at the website's features

STEP #2: DISTRIBUTE this website widely to all your friends and family.

Ask them to take part in this national campaign and spread the message far and wide.

STEP #3: SUBMIT CREATIVE COMMENTS – Art, Photos, and Video.

Wild Salmon Art Contest:

http://www.giveadamforsalmon.org/images/art.flyer.pdf

Submit Your Photo!

http://www.giveadamforsalmon.org/images/photo.flyer.pdf

Submit Your Video!