The Great Lakes Zephyr - Wind Energy & Hydrogen Journal

Here is your May issue of the Wild Salmon & Steelhead News. 

This monthly newsletter keeps you informed on the progress of the
Columbia & Snake Rivers Campaign and our efforts to protect and
restore a healthy river and its runs of salmon and steelhead to
healthy abundance by removing four costly and out-dated dams on
the lower Snake River.

This month, we have some GREAT NEWS!

1. Major Victory in Federal Court for Wild Salmon and Steelhead!

2. Meet Bill Erickson: Salmon to Sea Adventurer and Fundraiser

3. Join us on the lower Salmon River Rafting Adventure in Idaho
this August!

4. Kudos to Grounds for Change - a Northwest coffee company
supporting recovery.

1. MAJOR VICTORY IN FEDERAL COURT FOR WILD SALMON AND STEELHEAD!
On May 23, a United States district court invalidated a federal
plan for operating water storage projects in the Upper Snake
River basin in Idaho. These projects trap water needed to help
endangered baby Snake River salmon migrate safely to the ocean.
The court ruled that the 2005 Upper Snake River salmon plan was
based on the fatally flawed 2004 federal Columbia River salmon
plan - a plan declared illegal last spring and currently being
redrafted. This court victory forces the government to address
all of the factors causing salmon declines in the entire
Columbia and Snake River basin - rather than allow it to develop
uncoordinated piecemeal plans for different areas of the basin.

This lawsuit was filed last fall by fishing businesses and
conservation groups in an effort to compel federal agencies to
take a comprehensive, rational approach to Columbia-Snake salmon
recovery - an approach that will work better for Northwest
communities as well as federal taxpayers nationally.

ONE WATERSHED - ONE PLAN: The ruling calls for "a comprehensive
evaluation of the effects of water use in the upper Snake River
and down-river dam operations," and that a "combined
consultation will be more likely to achieve the comprehensive
analysis required by the ESA [Endangered Species Act]." The
court ordered the remand, or 'rewrite,' of the 2005 Upper Snake
River salmon plan to be joined with the remand of the 2004
Columbia and Lower Snake River salmon plan that is already under
way.

The court observed, "Rebuilding salmon to healthy, harvestable
levels will come in large part from addressing the impacts of
the down-river dam operations that do the most harm to salmon.
Even so, the water of the upper Snake projects and its uses must
be an integral part of the analysis."

Our broad-based coalition remains convinced that removing four
costly, outdated dams on the lower Snake River will serve U.S.
taxpayers and Northwest communities better from both an economic
and salmon recovery standpoint. But so far our region's leaders
- as well as the federal government - have resisted this option.


The success of the Upper Snake river lawsuit gives the
Northwest, and the nation a new opportunity to finally examine -
honestly and completely - what's needed to meet our
responsibilities to restore healthy salmon and steelhead runs in
the Snake River, and in the process protect and restore a
national icon, and a Northwest resource, economy, and way of
life.

For additional information:
http://www.wildsalmon.org/actioncenter/uppersnakeriver.cfm

To view a map of the Northwest:
http://www.wildsalmon.org/library/map2.cfm

2. MEET BILL ERICKSON: SALMON-TO-SEA ADVENTURER AND FUNDRAISER
The Salmon to Sea Awareness Expedition is a 900-mile
source-to-sea kayak journey by river guide/conservationist Bill
Erickson on the Salmon, Snake and Columbia River systems in
August and September 2006. Bill has guided for years on rivers
around the country, but feels most at home in the Pacific
Northwest, where he has spent the last two seasons guiding for
OARS-Dories. His passion for protecting the environment has
driven him to undertake this trip. He is working to raise
awareness about the potential extinction of Snake River wild
salmon and steelhead. The expedition will begin close to the
headwaters of the Salmon River near Stanley, Idaho and finish
near Astoria, OR at the mouth of the Columbia River. Bill's
journey will retrace an ancient migratory path of wild Snake
River salmon and steelhead. All along the way, Bill will be
stopping in communities to talk with journalists, town leaders,
dam operators and school kids. He intends to have a national
media presence on key portions of the trip to help increase
public knowledge of the plight of wild salmon, and the impacts
of the four lower Snake River dams.

Through this epic journey, its photographs, and articles,
Erickson will raise awareness and money to increase support for
removing the 4 lower Snake River dams in order to restore wild
salmon and steelhead to healthy, sustainable levels. All gear
and money raised for this expedition will be donated toward
recovering wild salmon to the Pacific Northwest and helping
those communities that depend on them.

EXPEDITION UPDATES:
http://www.salmontosea.blogspot.com/

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO JOIN the Salmon To Sea Expedition for
6-days on the Main Salmon with OARS-Dories and Idaho Rivers
United please contact: OARS-Dories at 800-346-6277.

If you or your business would like to become involved with the
expedition as a gear or financial sponsor, please contact Bill
Erickson at 970-485-2480 or azcanyondreamer@yahoo.com or Sam
Mace from Save Our Wild Salmon at 509-747-2030 or
sam@wildsalmon.org

3. JOIN SAVE OUR WILD SALMON ON THE WILD SALMON RIVER IN IDAHO:
Hosted by Sundog Expeditions, this 5-day trip down the lower
Salmon River will include sun, fun, sandy beaches, swimming and
whitewater on one of Idaho's premiere salmon rivers. Proceeds
will be donated to Save Our Wild Salmon and its campaign to
restore a healthy river and healthy runs of wild salmon and
steelhead to the Columbia and Snake Rivers.

The dates are August 21-25, 2006. The trip is $1076 per person
and proceeds go to Save Our Wild Salmon. Price includes all
meals and gear. The trip will begin from Lewiston, Idaho. A
$200 deposit is required to reserve a space.

This five-day float trip will include fine meals of wild Alaskan
salmon with Northwest wines and opportunities to learn more
about our work to restore wild salmon and steelhead to Northwest
rivers.

For more information: Sam Mace at 509-747-2030 or
sam@wildsalmon.org.

For more information on Sundog Expeditions visit
http://www.sundogexpeditions.com or call Sundog owners Lonnie
Hutson and Gail Siegal at 888-455-5077.

4. KUDOS TO GROUNDS FOR CHANGE FAIR TRADE ORGANIC COFFEE:

Located on the Kitsap Peninsula, a ferry ride from downtown
Seattle, Grounds For Change is a rapidly growing family-owned
business with a strong commitment to a healthy environment and
sustainable economy, and to the recovery of healthy, abundant
and fishable populations of wild salmon and steelhead in the
Columbia and Snake Rivers. We want to thank Grounds For Change
for their recent generous donation to our campaign as a result
of their participation in the 1% FOR THE PLANET program. Member
businesses donate 1% of their annual net revenues to
organizations and efforts that protect and preserve a healthy
planet.

DRINK COFFEE AND RESTORE SALMON: Grounds For Change also
supports Save Our Wild Salmon in another way: when you purchase
their coffee or other products (like fair trade teas and
chocolate) from the Save Our Wild Salmon page on their website,
15% of every purchase goes directly to support our efforts to
restore a healthy river and healthy salmon and steelhead by
removing the four lower Snake River dams.

YOU CAN PURCHASE FRESH-ROASTED COFFEE, and learn more about
Grounds For Change and our partnership by visiting the Save Our
Wild Salmon/Grounds for Change web page:
www.groundsforchange.com/partners/SOS/
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For more information or to get more involved: contact Joseph
Bogaard joseph@wildsalmon.org or Chris Salp chris@wildsalmon.org
with the Columbia & Snake Rivers Campaign.

Save Our Wild Salmon is a coalition of conservation, commercial
and sportfishing organizations, clean energy and taxpayer
advocates working together to protect and restore salmon and
steelhead to the Columbia River basin by removing four costly,
out-dated dams on the lower Snake River.

Save Our Wild Salmon
200 1st Ave West, 201
Seattle, WA 98119

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