FFI Supports Snake River Proposal
Will help restore the salmon-steelhead populations in Pacific NW
Fly Fishers International is pleased to announce that we have joined Trout Unlimited, the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership and our many other Conservation Partners to endorse a long-needed proposal to restore wild salmon and steelhead populations in the Pacific Northwest.
United States Congressman Mike Simpson of Idaho is the author of this impressive proposal. The proposal, three years in design, is comprehensive in that it proposes to provide social and economic incentives to all stakeholders…native tribes, farmers and ranchers, energy producers and consumers, fly fishers and others who enjoy the out of doors…to make feasible the removal of the four hydroelectric dams from the Lower Snake River. Fishery scientists have long-recommended that removal of these dams is essential to achieve recovery of salmon and steelhead in the Snake and Columbia River Systems. Our endorsement was sent to members of the Northwest House and Senate Delegations, asking for their support for the proposal and eventual legislation. Click here to read the letter.
This is not a new conservation issue to Fly Fishers International. Our organization has for decades advocated recovery of wild salmon and steelhead in the Pacific Northwest with removal of the four hydroelectric dams from the Lower Snake River essential to restoration of the migratory pathways for these species. These fishes historically migrate between where they spawn in the upper reaches of the Snake River and return to the Pacific Ocean through the Columbia River system where they grow to adulthood and return to continue their lifecycles. The four dams no longer effectively produce the energy for which they were designed, but continue since construction to prevent sufficient adults from returning upstream to spawn and sustain these populations. Other recovery strategies have failed to date. The comprehensive Simpson Proposal is achievable and actually offers a realistic future for recovery of wild salmon and steelhead while providing social and economic values to the many stakeholders who depend in some way upon these natural systems.
The purpose of this message is to keep you informed of the conservation work we do to preserve the legacy of fly fishing for “All Fish, All Waters” and for our members and fly fishing community. You may find more information regarding this issue by clicking this link and we ask that you support the Simpson Proposal when you have an opportunity.
