More than 50 fishing companies, trade groups and conservation organizations sent a letter today to President Donald Trump in support of taking a fresh look at removing four large dams on the lower Snake River to recover wild salmon and steelhead that once thrived in the Snake
River Basin of Idaho, Oregon and Washington.
With a court-ordered comprehensive analysis of potential salmon and steelhead recovery actions underway, well-known fishing companies and organizations such as Sage, Costa, Echo, Fishpond, the America Flyfishing Trade Association and many others submitted their support for ensuring wild salmon and steelhead thrive once again in the Columbia and Snake Rivers.
The Snake River basin is of particular interest because it was historically the largest producer of spring and summer races of Chinook salmon as well as summer steelhead in the entire Columbia River Basin. The Snake holds about 70 percent of wild salmon and steelhead recovery potential in the entire Columbia Basin due to its high habitat quality. But to reach that potential, wild fish survival rates need to more than double, which will require large survival improvements in the lower Snake River where four dams and reservoirs take a heavy toll on migrating fish.
“When thinking about the annual cost of salmon and steelhead recovery, the benefit of doing something bold like removing the Lower Snake river dams may actually prove to be a better return on investment than the current status quo,” said Ben Bulis, president of the American Fly Fishing Trade Association. “And for that reason we believe it should get serious consideration as recovery alternatives are being evaluated.”
The group also urged the administration to keep the public’s trust in the process by taking a science-based, transparent look at alternatives, finding ways to both recover steelhead while meeting the needs of local economies and communities.
“When considering Snake River Dam operations, we need to consider the potential benefit to the regional recreational economy. Recovering fishable populations of wild steelhead is part of our business. No fish…no fishing. For the long term viability of not only our business, but the sportsman’s economy in the Northwest, we need to review breaching the Lower Snake River Dams.” Tag Kleiner VP of Marketing at Far Bank Enterprises.
President Donald Trump
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, DC 20500
February 6, 2017
RE: Federal Columbia River Power System
Dear President Trump:
Wild salmon and steelhead of the Columbia and Snake River basins are a national treasure. Actions taken in the next decade will determine whether they thrive or go extinct. Right now, their future is bleak with status quo management. Major changes are needed to rebuild wild salmon and steelhead populations that are abundant and resilient and provide economic and quality of life benefits to local communities.
Your administration has an immediate opportunity to redirect recovery efforts in a way that can achieve this goal. The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process that your administration is embarking on is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the federal agencies that manage the Columbia and Snake river hydrosystem — and all stakeholders of the region — to work together to ensure that wild salmon and steelhead thrive once more. The court-ordered NEPA process will evaluate alternatives for managing the federal hydropower system in a way that recovers wild salmon and steelhead.
Specifically, we are asking for a NEPA process with the following attributes: (1) objective, transparent analysis; (2) use of the best available scientific and economic information; (3) opportunities for meaningful public engagement throughout the process; and (4) independent third-party peer review of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement that will emerge from this process. In our view, these attributes are critical to instilling public confidence in the outcome.
This NEPA process provides an opportunity to take a fresh look at salmon and steelhead recovery in relation to the Columbia and Snake hydropower system, and come up with a set of actions that will restore healthy, fishable populations of wild salmon and steelhead, as well as improve local economies and quality of life. We stand ready to work with you, the federal agencies, and all stakeholders to identify those actions.
We particularly want to draw your attention to the Snake River Basin and the plight of its wild salmon and steelhead. The Snake Basin holds approximately 70 percent of wild salmon and steelhead recovery potential in the entire Columbia Basin due to its high habitat quality, but wild fish survival needs to more than double current levels and that will require large survival improvements in the lower Snake River where four dams and reservoirs take a heavy toll on migrating fish.
Removing the lower Snake dams is the only action identified to date with the potential to yield the survival improvements necessary to recover wild Snake River salmon and steelhead. As such, we believe it should be thoroughly analyzed in the NEPA process.
The analysis of lower Snake River dam removal should include both the potential wild fish benefits as well as the actions necessary to replace the benefits the dams provide. Mitigating actions must be fully assessed, such as improvements in rail transportation, new irrigation systems for irrigators who withdraw water from lower Snake River reservoirs, and investments in renewable energy, conservation and electric grid improvements. The potential non-fish benefits of restoring a free-flowing lower Snake River should also be analyzed, such as elimination of flow augmentation from the upper Snake River, elimination of costly sediment dredging behind Lower Granite dam and new recreation opportunities.
Our organizations and companies are committed to working with you, your federal agencies, and all Columbia Basin stakeholders to recover irreplaceable wild salmon and steelhead, a defining feature of our region. The vast benefits of restored fisheries will be reaped throughout the basin, from Redfish Lake, Idaho, to the mouth of the Columbia, as well as along the coast, from Oregon, to Washington, and Alaska. We urge you to seize this opportunity by conducting a first-class NEPA process that will serve as a firm foundation for the actions that will allow these magnificent fish to thrive again and revitalize Columbia Basin communities.
Sincerely,
| Trout Unlimited
1777 N. Kent Street, Suite 100 Arlington, VA 22209 |
American Fly Fishing Trade Association
321 East Main St, Suite 300 Bozeman, MT 59715 |
| Allen Fly Fishing
565 Commerce S. Suite 100 Southlake, TX 76092 |
Anglers All
5211 S. Santa Fe Drive Littleton, CO 80120 |
| Air Flow USA
7500 NE 16th Ave Suite 1C Vancouver, WA 98665 |
Amberjack
221 Canal Street, 6th Floor New York, NY 10013 |
| The Avid Angler
17171 Bothell Way NE, Suite A272 Lake Forest Park, WA 98155 |
Backcountry Hunters and Anglers
725 W Alder, Suite 11 Missoula, MT 59802 |
| Abel Reels
165 N. Aviador St. # H Camarillo, CA 93010 |
Beulah Fly Rods
1017 Reddy Ave. Medford, OR 97504 |
| Blackstrap
1305 SE Armour Rd #100 Bend, OR 97702 |
Bryan Gregson Photography
Bozeman, MT |
| Brazda Fly Fishing
Jeff Brazda Ellensburg, WA 98926 |
Burns Guide Service
PO Box 294 Poulsbo, WA 98370 |
| Costa
2361 Mason Ave Suite 100 Daytona Beach, FL 32117 |
The Confluence Fly Shop
2620 N. Harbor Loop, Dr. Suite 9 Bellingham, WA 98225 |
| Dean Finnerty Guides and Outfitters
1239 S. 4th Cottage Grove, OR 97424 |
Ed Sozinho Photography
Ed Sozinho Seattle, WA |
| ECHO Fly Fishing
7500 N.E. 16th Ave., Suite 1C Vancouver, WA 98665 |
Finn Utility
3214 East Main Street Richmond, VT 05477 |
| Fish Need Water
7500 N.E. 16th Ave., Suite 1C Vancouver, WA 98665 |
Fishpond
275 Klamath Street Denver, CO 80223 |
| Fly Fishing Film Tour
5400 Mt. Meeker Boulder, CO 80301 |
Fly Vines
429 5 1st Street W Missoula, MT 59801 |
| The Fly Fishers Place
151 W. Main Ave Sisters, OR 97759 |
Flycasters Brewing
12815 NE 124th Kirkland, WA 98034 |
| Frog Hair
382 State Route 77 Oil City, PA 16301 |
Frigate Travel
Justin Crump Rockaway Beach, OR 97136 |
| Hammer Down Guide Service
Geoff Laird & Tyler Henscheid Corvallis, OR 97330 |
Holloway Brothers Guide Service
Ty and Clay Holloway Eugene, OR |
| Idaho Guides and Outfitters Assn.
P.O. Box 95 Boise, ID 83701 |
Kast Gear
2131 N. Deborah Dr. #100 Idaho Falls, ID 83401 |
| Maxxon Outfitters
8803 S. 218 Street Kent, WA 98031 |
Montana Fly Company
530 First Avenue West Columbia Falls, MT 59912 |
| Northwest Sportfishing Industry Assn
PO Box 4 Oregon City, OR 97045 |
Orvis
178 Conservation Way Sunderland, VT 05250 |
| Pieroway Rod Company
Unit 15, 1339 40th Ave NE |
Postfly
101 Newburyport Turnpike Bay #1 Newbury, MA 01951 |
| Pro Sportfisher
18872 S. Forest Grove Loop Oregon City, OR 97045 |
Redington
8500 NE Day Road Bainbridge Island, WA 98110 |
| Rio Products
5050 S. Yellowstone Hwy. Idaho Falls, ID 83402 |
Rep Your Water
2546 S Main Unit B. Erie, CO 80516 |
| Ross Reels
11 Ponderosa CT Montrose, CO 81401 |
Rvrfshr
16621 35th Ave S. Seatac, WA 98188 |
| Sage Fly Fishing
8500 NE Day Road Bainbridge Island, WA 98110 |
Schnitzer Photo
Russ Schnitzer Golden, CO |
| Scott Fly Rod Company
2355 Air Park Way Montrose, CO 81401 |
Sea Run Pursuits
John Hicks – WA Licensed Guide Lacey, WA |
| Sixgill Fishing
565 Commerce St. Ste. 100 Southlake, TX 76092 |
SoupleFly
PO Box 2403 Post Falls, ID 83877 |
| Steelhead Vineyard
567 1st Street E. Sonoma, CA 95476 |
Tailwalker Fly Fishing
Taylor Wells Placerville, CA 95667 |
| Vedavoo
PO Box 185 Lancaster, MA 01523 |
World Cast Anglers
38 West Center Street Victor, ID 83455 |