Governor Inslee,

Thank you for your leadership in convening The Southern Resident Orca Task Force, and for recognizing that increasing the abundance of wild Chinook salmon is a priority to save this unique population of whales from extinction.

However, the four dams on the lower Snake River are an absolute impediment to success. These dams prevent wild Chinook salmon from accessing hundreds of miles of important historical salmon habitat. Unless these dams are removed, millions of taxpayer dollars will continue to be spent on salmon hatcheries, which have been proven not to increase salmon abundance, and in fact, are likely contributing to the ongoing decline of wild Chinook salmon.

You can lead the way in restoring wild Chinook salmon and Southern Resident killer whales, both iconic species of Washington State—worth billions of dollars in ecotourism, fisheries, leisure and more.

I urge you to move forward and develop a plan to remove the dams. To begin working with Gov. Brown and Gov. Little to restore the Snake River and the Columbia River Basin, the Pacific's largest watershed, so that it may once again support an abundance of wild Chinook salmon in Washington rivers that can meet the needs of the State’s residents - whale and human alike.

Sincerely,

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