Wild Salmon & Steelhead News is published monthly by the Save Our wild Salmon Coalition. Read on to learn about the Columbia-Snake River Basin’s endangered wild salmon and steelhead, the many benefits they deliver to people and ecosystems, and the extinction crisis they face today - unless we act! Find out how SOS is helping lead efforts to restore health, connectivity, and resilience to the rivers and streams these fish depend upon in the Columbia-Snake Basin and how you can get involved to help restore healthy, abundant, and harvestable populations and sustain more just and prosperous communities. To learn more and/or get involved, contact Martha Campos.
1. Honoring Earth Month and salmon's sacred journey!
2. Watch 'RECIPROCITY: Columbia Basin Restoration Initiative' webinar recording!
3. NextGen Salmon Collective summer internship applications are now open!
4. The Power of Art: An interview with Gabriel Newton
5. Get that GIVING feeling - to recover salmon and restore their rivers!
6. Salmon media round-up
1. Honoring Earth Month and salmon's sacred journey!
Ocean Spiral, © Heidie Ambrose Each year, salmon return to their native spawning grounds after spending up to 8 years in the ocean, completing their beautiful life cycle and bringing a new generation of salmon to Earth. The salmon's journey is magnificent and mysterious. Their migration delivers critical marine nutrients hundreds of miles from oceans to support a diversity of life in inland rivers, streams, and forests. Throughout this amazing journey, they bring energy and nutrition to more than 130 other species, including people.
Since time immemorial, salmon have played a profound role for many Pacific Northwest Tribes’ spiritual traditions, cultural identity, economic prosperity, and food sovereignty. Each spring, Tribes across the Northwest celebrate the return of the adult salmon from the ocean to rivers with traditional First Food ceremonies.
With the return of salmon in spring and the celebration of Earth Month, it is an appropriate time to reflect on the journey of wild salmon and steelhead and re-commit to our collaborative work with many others to protect, restore and reconnect the healthy waters and habitats across Columbia-Snake River Basin that native fish - and all of us - rely upon and benefit from. The dams on the lower Snake River in southeast Washington State—Ice Harbor, Lower Monumental, Little Goose, and Lower Granite—and their stagnant reservoirs are heating up this historic river, disrupting its natural flow, and blocking salmon's productive access to more than 5,000 miles of ancestral, once highly productive upstream spawning and rearing habitat. Still, salmon persevere and continue their ancient journey from river to ocean to river - to spawn after laying the seeds for the next generation.
Their magical journey also inspires - and remind us of our collective responsibility to work with others to protect salmon and steelhead, and their rivers and ecosystems for the benefit of present and future generations.
“Along the Columbia River plateau, our sacred responsibility to protect salmon, water, roots, berries, and game remains unbroken despite centuries of challenges. These First Foods are not simply resources but relatives deserving of respect and reciprocity. We invite all people to join in this Indigenous perspective—recognizing that caring for Mother Earth is not a once-yearly commitment but a daily practice of gratitude, respect, and responsible action for future generations.”—Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission
During Earth Month this year, SOS participated in numerous events across the Northwest to celebrate and honor all life on Earth. We were filled with hope to see so many people gathering together, deepening relationships with one another and with nature, and mobilizing collectively to protect the Earth and restore health to its lands and waters.
We are especially grateful to the Seattle Kraken and The Latona Pub for their generosity and partnership this Earth Month to celebrate and support our work on behalf of healthy lands and waters, abundant salmon and steelhead populations, and sustainable communities and economies here in our Pacific Northwest home!
We're currently in DC meeting with Members of Congress to recover Columbia-Snake Basin salmon.
Joseph Bogaard and LeeAnne Beres at an Earth Week fundraising benefit hosted by The Latona Pub!
SOS and supporters enjoyed a great game of hockey during Seattle Kraken's "Green Night!"
SOS joined Children of the Setting Sun's Wake Up, Stand Up Rally to honor and protect the Earth.
Abby Saks joined the Earth Day Block Party in Spokane, WA, which featured a special animal marching band!
Next Gen Salmon Collective student leader, Ginna Owens, tabling at Gonzaga University’s Rock the Planet.
Thank you all for your commitment to honor salmon and all of life this Earth Month and every single day! To close, we share this poem from I Sing the Salmon Home anthology edited by former Washington State Poet Laureate Rena Priest and published by Empty Bowl Press.
The Genius of Salmon by Julie Robinett
Salmon, how do you know how to
travel all the way from the sea,
hundreds of miles (to exactly where you began)
with no map or directions to guide you
(aside from those written in memory,
and the earth's gentle pull)?
And what is it like to possess
a sense of scent so precise that
you can detect one drop of fragrance
in water so vast it could fill ten
Olympic-sized swimming pools?
How do you know
(you just know) how to build
a watery nest for your eggs,
without one speck
of exterior guidance?
(You get by on instinct and grace.)
Generation after generation,
you have been swept into
your beautiful dance. We humans
(and the earth, with its creatures
and plants) ... yes, we are grateful!
About Julie Robinett: Decided (on a whim) in late 2011 that I would memorize one poem for each week in 2012. While doing that, I fell in love with poetry. A few years later I began attending a local open mic ("just to listen") —and was soon swept into writing (and sharing) my own poetry. In addition to poetry, I love books, chocolate, shade, spiders, walking, dancing, and many kinds of music (including and especially Zimbabwean marimba music). I have lived in the Pacific Northwest for most of my life; currently my family and I (including occasional spiders) live in Everett.
2. Watch the 'RECIPROCITY: Columbia Basin Restoration Initiative' webinar recording!
Sierra Club and Save Our wild Salmon recently co-hosted the second installment of RECIPROCITY - our 2025 webinar series. We were honored to have representatives of the Six Sovereigns present on the development, purposes, and goals of the groundbreaking, collaborative, and comprehensive plan to restore salmon abundance while investing in healthy communities — the Columbia Basin Restoration Initiative (CBRI).
Thanks to the vision and leadership of the 'Six Sovereigns' — the four lower Columbia River Treaty Tribes (the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation, the Nez Perce Tribe) and the states of Oregon and Washington — the Pacific Northwest communities are moving down a new path to recovery and resilience, and a more just and prosperous future. With the solutions outlined in the CBRI, we have a comprehensive plan to restore salmon and other native fish to healthy and abundant levels, ensure a clean and socially just energy future, support local economic resilience, and honor our nation's promises to Tribal Nations.
“This has been a long and beautiful journey. This is an important moment, we are united together, as we all should be on important issues. We need everyone to help with this effort here to show the region and our future generations that this is possible. It's very emotional to our communities that still acknowledge this way of life. It's meaningful, and it's about our youth, it's about our children, their grandchildren, the ecosystem, the different animals that rely on these native anadromous species.” —Jeremy Takala, Chair, Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission
Thank you to our featured presenters:
- Jeremy Takala, Chair, Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission
- Austin Smith Jr., General Manager, Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, Branch of Natural Resources
- Kate Marckworth, Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation Senior Staff Attorney
- Michael Garrity, Special Assistant at Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife
Thank you to Bill Arthur, Chair of the Sierra Club Columbia-Snake River Salmon Campaign and Keyen Singer, NextGen Salmon Collective leader and member of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (CTUIR), for their inspiring opening and closing remarks.
Please join Save Our wild Salmon and Sierra Club and TAKE ACTION in support of the Columbia Basin Restoration Initiative, and oppose legislation that undermines important solutions, opportunities, and progress.
In January, Sen. Jim Risch (ID) and Rep. Dan Newhouse (WA-4) introduced legislation, which they dubbed the “Northwest Energy Security Act,” that, if it becomes law, will deal a devastating blow to important salmon recovery progress in the Columbia River Basin. Please ACT NOW: urge your members of Congress to oppose this legislation and instead to support full implementation of the Columbia Basin Restoration Initiative to recover imperiled salmon populations with solutions that replace existing lower Snake River dam services, create jobs, and invest in clean energy and modern infrastructure. We have a huge opportunity today to advance durable, comprehensive solutions that recover salmon and invest in our communities - and move everyone forward together!
We hope you will join us for the third webinar of our RECIPROCITY series on May 22! Stay tuned for additional details!
3. NextGen Salmon Collective summer internship applications are now open!
Since NextGen Salmon Collective launched last year, student leaders have taken salmon, orca, and justice advocacy to a whole new level!
NextGen Salmon Collective leaders are organizing strategic and timely letter writing parties targeting decision-makers, advocacy events, educational tabling activities, and other initiatives engaging new people to work together to advocate for the protection of Columbia River Basin salmon and steelhead. Most recently, student leaders organized a petition advocating for Gov. Bob Ferguson’s leadership to protect and restore Snake River salmon and Southern Resident orcas. They wrote to the Governor:
“As youth of the Pacific Northwest, we will see the consequences of the decisions you make today. We will either see a bright future with abundant salmon, a healthy ecosystem, and prosperous communities, or we will be faced with the unacceptable outcome of salmon extinction. We ask that you choose abundance over extinction, and that you strongly support the continued implementation of the Columbia Basin Restoration Initiative.”
With over 200 student signatures, five NextGen Salmon Collective leaders traveled to Olympia to deliver the petition to the governor’s office and spend a day in Olympia meeting with policymakers to advocate for salmon, orcas, and all the communities that depend on and cherish these iconic species. Read more about the first inaugural NextGen Legislative Advocacy Day here.
We deeply appreciate their leadership to ensure salmon abundance and healthy Southern Residents for future generations.
Be a part of NextGen Salmon Collective! Applications for NextGen 2025 summer internship are now open! This team-based internship will support highly passionate and creative students to educate and mobilize their peers on the importance of Columbia-Snake River restoration. Interns will lead community outreach projects and advocacy initiatives in collaboration with other youth organizers across the region.
Hear from NextGen student leaders about their experience joining the collective:
“The most useful aspect of NextGen so far is getting to hear from experts and people with a lot of experience in a small group setting that was very helpful, tailored to us.”
“I now feel confident in my knowledge about the lower Snake River dams and why they should be removed. I am comfortable talking about this topic and explaining it to people.”
“The best part of NextGen is having a large group of people ready to listen, collaborate, and support each other no matter what the question or event is.”
Learn more about NextGen Salmon Collective and apply here. The deadline to apply is May 8th! Stipends are available. If you have any questions, please reach out to Abby Dalke abby@wildsalmon.org.
4. The Power of Art
An interview with Gabriel (Gabe) Newton
By Britt Freda, Creative Director of Northwest Artists Against Extinction
It has been just over a month since Gabe Newton, renowned professional kayaker, artist, and dedicated orca advocate, embarked on a three-day, 65-mile sea kayaking journey from downtown Seattle to Olympia. Gabe personally delivered an original painting from his SUPERPOD collection, along with more than 1,500 postcards and petition signatures to Governor Ferguson urging his bold leadership and commitment to decisive actions to protect the critically endangered Southern Resident orcas and the Chinook salmon they depend on for survival.
“There are so many petitions these days, it's easy for them to fall through the cracks or be dismissed,” said Gabe. “The Governor's office wasn’t going to accept the delivery of the signatures from me directly. From the steps of the Capitol building, they asked me to mail them in.” Ultimately, the key to an in-person conversation with the governor’s staff was the gift of art. (Governor Ferguson was in Seattle the day Gabe arrived in Olympia.)
Gabe gifted Governor Ferguson with his original painting titled Celebration, in honor of the day the dams are breached. It now hangs in the Governor's office—where it serves as a beautiful and inspiring launching point for further discussion for all who visit the Governor there. (Gabe received a letter of thanks, praise and gratitude from Governor Bob Ferguson, for “your advocacy and for your kindness in sharing your talent with others.”)
“Celebration, refers to the moment when the dams come down. The orcas will celebrate, and so will the rest of us.”—Gabe Newton
“The combination [of art, advocacy, and action] was really successful! I feel good about how the journey and the project made the pressing issue of wild salmon and Southern Resident orca extinction more visible to more people.” This journey illustrates the role art plays in “connecting with people in ways so that they’re more open to the message and what needs to be heard. We need more creative ways to capture people’s attention, imagination, and hearts.”
“There are currently a lot of fires to be put out, but it is important not to lose hope. It is crucial that we do not lose sight of the future we want for salmon and orca restoration and maintain the vision that we can still make the changes that are so needed, that are so necessary. We need people working on all of these pieces. Not everyone can be focused on climate; we need dedicated people working on all of these fronts.”
When asked what gives Gabe hope these days, he enthused, “How majestic the orcas are! They’re awe-inspiring.” He paused for a moment before continuing, “and also the salmon. It's so miraculous how these salmon swim 900 miles upriver into the mountain streams of Idaho, where I grew up. But if you put eight concrete walls in front of them, it's no longer possible. We really need to get out of the way, if we want to witness the miraculousness of life. And every time a thread in the web of life is broken, our own capacity to thrive is diminished. Orcas and salmon are both very integral threads.”
As we wrapped up our conversation, I wondered whether there was a predominant thought or contemplation that circled through Gabe’s mind as he paddled from Seattle to Olympia. “It was that I was plying the same waters the Southern Resident orcas have been plying for thousands of years,” said Gabe.
Gabe continues to work on an addendum to his SUPERPOD collection, painting all of the Southern Resident orcas who have died over the past 10 years, which is an astounding 30 whales—11 calves, 19 adults. "That really puts this crisis into perspective," Gabe said. Seven of those deceased whales were painted by Gabe before they passed.
We thank Gabe for embarking on this journey, calling on elected representatives for their bold leadership to safeguard the future of these endangered orcas and salmon, and all who depend on them. Watch a recap of Gabe’s journey here.
Selected pieces from Gabe’s SUPERPOD exhibit are currently on view outside the Highline Heritage Museum in Burien through the end of June. An additional group is in the works to be exhibited for three months at SeaTac City Hall, late spring to early summer.
To learn more about Gabe’s work, visit nwaae.org, GabrielNewton.com, or follow him @kvkinship on Instagram.
5. Get that GIVING feeling - to recover salmon and restore their rivers!
Early giving for GiveBIG 2025 is now open!
Save Our wild Salmon is participating in GiveBIG, Washington State's nonprofit giving campaign, which is running now through Wednesday, May 7! GiveBIG is an annual opportunity to be part of a groundswell movement of generosity, where we come together to celebrate and invest in our community. By donating to SOS, you will help advance our work to protect and restore abundant, healthy, and harvestable salmon and steelhead populations to the rivers, streams, and marine waters of the Pacific Northwest.
We are living in an especially challenging time. Your generous support today will help us to protect wild salmon and their rivers – and defend the historic progress we've made in the past several years. We'll continue to organize, advocate, and work closely with allies and communities to uphold our values. In 2025, SOS is focused on advancing our program work to support the leadership of Northwest Tribes; educate, inspire, and mobilize our supporters and the public; strengthen our relationships with stakeholders; and engage – and push on when needed! – policymakers to develop and deliver effective, durable solutions for salmon and steelhead, Southern Resident orcas, and our communities.
Finally, thanks to a very generous SOS donor, we now have a $15,000 Challenge Match for GiveBIG this spring!
Give generously before May 7 and you will double your gift and help us take full advantage of this opportunity!
Thank you, as ever, for your advocacy and generosity in defense of Northwest salmon and the many gifts they offer.
Watch: EcoSense for Living: SNOW & FLOW episode with a segment featuring Nez Perce Tribal leaders and scientists and National Wildlife Federation speaking of the fate of salmon and their role as a life source that connects us all.
“When we look out to the future, we want to see a free-flowing Snake River once again. We want to be able to hand out to the next generation, we want to leave things better off for them, so that they can go out to all these places that were guaranteed to us by treaties.” —Joseph Oatman, Manager of Nez Perce Tribe’s Deptartment of Fisheries Resource Management
Read:
- PNS: Bonneville Power energy market choice impacts NW environment
- Vashon Beachcomber: Kayactivist, after island stop, take message to Olympia
- Boise State Public Radio: How tribes in the Columbia River Basin are protecting lamprey
- King 5: New orca calf spotted with J pod
- Everett Herald Guest Opinion: BPA Should rethink decision affecting ratepayers
