Southern Resident orcas, and the chinook salmon they rely on, are part of our Northwest culture, economy, and ecology. But both species are teetering on the edge of being gone from our waters forever.
The Northwest has an opportunity to recover both species while unlocking outdoor recreational opportunities, honoring tribal treaty rights, boosting our fishing economy, and upholding our legacy of clean energy and agriculture. How? By leading the largest salmon and river recovery in history.
Four aging dams on the Snake River have outlived their effectiveness, have cost taxpayers billions of dollars, and kill millions of salmon juveniles every year as they attempt to migrate downriver to the ocean. Salmon make up 98% of the diet of endangered Southern Resident orcas with one species of salmon, Chinook, making up the majority of their food. But Southern Residents don't have enough salmon to raise their newborns: nearly 7 in 10 pregnancies end in miscarriage. A restored Snake River means restored salmon runs means a restored orca population.
Time is running out and we need Congress to act. Sign to tell your Representatives and Senators that 2021 needs to be the year that Congress restores the Snake River and to bring a new opportunity to the Northwest.