Advocate Materials for 2019 Washington State Legislative session

Below are materials that provide key information of two of Governor Inslee's proposed budget items: (1) increased spill at the federal dams and (2) the formation of a stakeholder forum to detail elements of a transition plan for the Columbia basin should the removal of the lower Snake River dams be deemed necessary.

These measures will provide short- and long-term benefits to the critical endangerd orca, and it is critical that policy makers  support the full funding of both. Please utilize these materials and distribute them widely.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact Angela Moran (angela@wildsalmon.org) or Joseph Bogaard (joseph@wildsalmon.org).

1. Factsheets, Reports, and Talking Points

  • Factsheet: Columbia Basin Priorities for Governor Inslee's Budget Proposal (2019)  PDF
  • Factsheet: Why is increased 'spill' over the dams necessary, and how will it benefit orca? (2019)  PDF
  • Factsheet: What is the stakeholder forum proposal and what will it accomplish? (2019)  PDF
  • Factsheet: Myths, facts and actions items for the lower Snake River and its salmon (Feb. 2019)  PDF
  • Report: 2019 Spring Chinook forecast (Dec. 2018)  PDF
  • Graphs depicting historic and current salmon returns, the predicted benefits of spill, and quotes from NOAA, USFW, and NMFS on the scientific support for the benefits of a restored, undammed lower Snake River (2019)  PDF
  • Legislative talking points regarding the importance of spill and the convening of a stakeholder forum PDF 

3. Letters to Policy Makers

  • Sign-On Letter of 29 WA Organizations to legislators urging support of increased spill and the formation of a dam removal stakeholder forum (Feb. 2019)  PDF
  • Orca Scientists' Letter to Governor Inslee's Southern Resident Orca Recovery Task Force (Oct. 2018)  PDF
  • Salmon Scientists' Letter to Governor Inslee's Southern Resident Orca Recovery Task Force (Aug. 2018)  PDF
  • Washington State Food Professionals letter to Governor Inslee supporting a lower Snake River Stakeholder Forum (Dec. 2018)  PDF

2. Articles and Guest Opinion

  • Seattle Times: Southern resident orcas that frequent Puget Sound may not survive without breaching the Lower Snake River dams to help the salmon the orcas live on, scientists say (Oct. 2018)  PDF
  • Yakima Guest Opinion OpEd: To help the orcas, and improve salmon runs, remove the dams (Dec. 2018)  PDF

4. Governor Inslee's Orca Task Force Information

  • Language from OTF and Governor regarding spill and forum  PDF
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