||| FROM THE OFFICE OF GOVERNOR JAY INSLEE |||
“I am saddened to hear the news that one of the 75 remaining endangered Southern Resident orcas, K-21 – a 35-year-old male – was seen this week emaciated and struggling off the coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia. The whales have been seen less and less frequently in Puget Sound, their usual summer home, a clear sign that the health of the Puget Sound ecosystem is not improving fast enough.
“K-21’s struggle highlights just how important it is that we all continue to do our part to give these iconic and beloved whales the best chance of survival. The whales need space from boats. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) issued an emergency rule last week requiring commercial whale watching boats to stay a half mile away from K-21, who is now presumed deceased. If you’re boating in Puget Sound, please be Whale Wise and keep your distance to give orcas the opportunity to feed, travel and socialize. Thank you to NOAA for announcing an expansion of the Southern Resident orca critical habitat designation to the coastal waters of Washington, Oregon and California today.
“It is time for big, bold changes in how we look at salmon and orca recovery. The Southern Resident orcas are suffering from multiple threats, including a lack of food, which is primarily Chinook salmon, and as keystone species, the orca and salmon are telling us to do better in protecting our waters. While we have done some transformative work recently, we must do more. The health of our salmon and the Southern Resident orcas are irreversibly intertwined and the recovery of one hinges on the survival of the other.
“Despite progress, too many salmon runs are on the brink of extinction. We have to look at the roles of hatcheries, hydropower, habitat and harvest. It is time for transformative clean water infrastructure for salmon and people, time to make major advancements in salmon habitat, including fixing fish passage barriers, and time to address climate resiliency in all the work we do. This also highlights the critical importance that the Federal Infrastructure package can play in salmon and orca recovery in our state.
“We have a once in a generation opportunity to make a difference so that we do not lose Southern Resident orcas from our state. To be from the Northwest is to know salmon and orca as part of our landscape and our shared heritage – and we must dedicate ourselves to their protection.”
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Breach. The. Lower. Snake. River. Dams.
“The four Lower Snake River Dams are man-made structures with a finite lifetime. They are part of the problematic aging U.S. infrastructure that requires more money for maintenance every year. These dams will be breached in the future due to economics. They are economically unsustainable now. It’s simply a matter of time before the federal agencies admit it. So, the question is will salmon and Southern Resident Orcas still be around when the dams come down, or will it be too late? Extinction is forever. The dams are not.” https://damsense.org/
“All snake river wild salmon and steelhead runs were listed under the endangered species act by the late 90’s. Southern Resident Orcas officially became endangered in 2005. No population has meet survival, let alone recovery standards set by the Northwest Power and Conservation Council. Governor Inslee started the Southern Resident Killer Whale Recovery and Task Force in 2018 to evaluate options to save the Southern Resident Orca. They ignored breaching as commentators urged them to act on the breach alternative developed in the original Environmental Impact Statement. Later, a 750,000 dollar Stakeholder Report to further breach discussion was undertaken, resulting in no consensus or breach recommendation. Creation of the four governors process in 2020 (governors of Idaho, Washington, Montana and Oregon) was a promise to develop a regional initiative to recover salmon. The Columbia River Systems Operations Process (CRSO) did not recommend breaching through a new Environmental Impact Statement, published August 2020. In early 2021 the biological opinion based on the report was challenged in court. This is the sixth time environmental groups have sued over failed recovery efforts. Timelines for effective action from these efforts are years away.” https://damsense.org/
“Endangered Snake River salmon and Southern Resident Orcas can’t wait for long-drawn-out efforts. And they don’t have to because the US Army Corps of Engineers is committed to following the site- specific guidance in the 2002 Feasibility Study/Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to breach the dams. In this 7 year, 33 million dollar report, dam breaching was identified as the alternative that would provide the highest probability of meeting salmon survival and recovery criteria (see page 25). The Corps’ own conclusion: dam breaching is the best way to recover Snake River salmon, a conclusion that remains valid today. To save ratepayer and taxpayer money, save salmon, and save orcas, breaching must start this year.” https://damsense.org/