December 10, 2004

Bush assault on salmon protections

1) Feds propose to eliminate more than 80% of critical habitat protections for all west coast salmon and steelhead

The Administration is going to eliminate more than 80% of the habitat protections ("critical habitat designations") under the Endangered Species Act. The Administration will only protect habitat where the salmon exist today - rather than where they once thrived. This plan accepts salmon population levels where they are today - severely depressed and declining, and abandons the idea of protecting and restoring them. It also ignores the idea that rivers and lands are connected and influence each other. Removing habitat protections can only mean further habitat degradations and additional population declines.

Take action – visit the Save The Bay action page, where you can submit comments and find a sample comment letter
http://baysavers.savesfbay.org/action/index.asp?step=2&item=23293


2) Final federal Salmon Plan for the Columbia and Snake Rivers = extinction

The feds released the final federal Salmon Plan for the Columbia and Snake Rivers. The "new" plan is actually worse than the "old" plan. The "old" plan was published in 2000, and invalidated by the courts in 2003 as ineffective. The judge in the case ordered the plan revised by the Bush Administration. This "new" plan ignores economics, taxpayers, science, and common sense. The plan cannot be called a recovery plan since it will allow already declining runs to continue to decline toward extinction. The plan lets dams off the hook, saying that they no longer "jeopardize" salmon and steelhead. This plan is estimated to cost $6 billion over the next 10 years, yet it will still allow salmon to decline towards extinction. It is a $6 billion roadmap to extinction.

What you can do:

Write to Congress - your Representative and Senators need to hear that we want our salmon, clean waters and healthy rivers

Immediately call the offices of Representative Tauscher (202) 225-1880 and Senator Boxer 202-224-3553
Tell them salmon are a defining part of our region's culture and economy and that the Bush Administration's policies ignore science, waste taxpayer money, and fail to protect salmon.

Write a letter to the editor of local papers and cc your representative
San Francisco Chronicle - mailto:letters@sfchronicle.com
LA Times- mailto:letters@latimes.com
Ventura County Star - mailto:letters@venturacountystar.com

Send your name, address, and day and evening phones; 150 words max; Choose 2-3 points to make:
1. Salmon and steelhead are important to our Pacific Coast identity, culture, economy and environment. The public supports recovery, and these plans abandon the people and the salmon of our region.
2. Salmon are endangered because the habitat has been damaged. Removing habitat protections will only lead to more extinction.
3. The "new" Bush Plan for the Columbia River Basin will cost taxpayers $6 billion, but it will still allow salmon to go extinct! Taxpayers get fleeced and salmon get the shaft. There has to be a better way!
4. The Administration's plans ignore sound science, sound economics, and fiscal responsibility. Ignoring science when crafting policy is wasteful and ineffective. We reject these plans.
5. Let's be honest and follow good science. Let's quit wasting time and money and take a hard look at the option that scientists support - removing the lower Snake River dams. It costs far less and achieves far more.
6. Where are our leaders? Senators? Representatives? Hello! We need you. Are you going to stand by as our salmon and our dollars go down the drain? Is this why we voted you into office?
7. Across the Pacific Coast, salmon mean business - more than 35,000 jobs and more than $3 billion annually. Salmon are good for jobs, tourism, our economy, and an indicator or our quality of life and environment.

To read more:

New York Times - U.S. Rules Out Dam Removal to Aid Salmon:
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/01/politics/01fish.html?ex=1102916299&ei=1&en=11e8996a357b5e59

SF Chronicle - Slowly Fading Salmon
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004/12/02/EDGETA4M071.DTL

Ventura County Star:
http://www1.venturacountystar.com/vcs/county_news/article/0,1375,VCS_226_3368996,00.html

LA Times: Salmon and Steelhead May Lose Protections
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/la-me-salmon1dec01,1,680924.story


3) San Joaquin water rights settlement screws Central Valley Chinook

Water Rights Case Threatens Species Protection

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A41450-2004Dec6.html