Fellow Listers, I received the following from the Washington State Council of the FFF. Please read this and provide your support however possible. Michael Santangelo The Washington State Council of the FFF (WSCFFF) provides this e-mail distribution to serve FFF clubs and other interested parties. If you find these articles of interest, please forward them to your club members. In most cases the WSCFFF Board has not reviewed them and takes no stand on them. Sent: Wednesday, July 18, 2001 4:53 PM Subject: McDermott to introduce Salmon Planning Act Call your congressmen to support and sponsor Congressman Jim McDermott (D-WA) "the Salmon Planning Act" We really needs letters and phone calls into McDermott's office. I wanted to give everyone a heads up on a major step forward on the salmon recovery front and ask for some assistance. Congressman Jim McDermott (D-WA) plans to announce his sponsorship of the Salmon Planning Act this Thursday, July 19th at a press conference in Washington, DC. The Salmon Planning Act gives the Corps of Engineers Congressional authority to remove the four lower Snake Rivers dams if National Marine Fisheries Service or other agencies determine it is necessary for the restoration of wild Snake River salmon and steelhead. The bill also calls for completion and funding of all studies necessary for removal of the dams, including an economic transition plan and analysis. The bill also requires the National Academy of Sciences to peer review NMFS decisions affecting Snake River salmon. This bill is not a "pro-breaching bill." It is a "prudent planning" bill. It seeks to insure that if Snake River salmon and steelhead populations continue their decline to extinction, the Army Corps of Engineers and other agencies are prepared to act quickly at the 3 and 5 year check-ins established under the current Federal Columbia/Snake River Salmon Recovery Plan. Most importantly, it insures that rural communities are not left in the lurch if the four lower Snake River dams are removed. Under the Salmon Planning Act an economic transition plan, including transportation infrastructure investments, will have been already developed and funded before the dams are removed. If you would like a copy of the bill, please contact me. McDermott is securing co-sponsors before Thursday's release. So far Reps Tom Petri (R-WI), Dave Bonior (D-MI), Brad Sherman (D-CA), Grace Napoliano (D-CA), Robert Borksi (D-PA) and Cynthia McKinney (D-GA) have joined McDermott as original co-sponsors, and we expect more to sign on before Thursday. The Salmon Planning Act provides a great opportunity to demonstrate a nation-wide commitment to restoring wild runs of salmon and steelhead to the Snake River. Trout Unlimited and other conservation groups will be working hard to support McDermott's effort and build support for his bill in Congress. We need your help! We ask that you not post this information on your email listserves until Thursday when the bill is officially announced. We do not want to get out front of Congressman McDermott. However, you can still help: PLEASE: 1. Fax a letter, make a phone call or send an email to Congressman Jim McDermott thanking him for his leadership. Letters from TU chapters, councils, or other organizations greatly appreciated. He will take quite a bit of flak from the agricultural industry in Washington State and we need him hearing from supporters. The Honorable Jim McDermott 1035 LHOB U.S. House of Representatives Washington, DC 20510 202-225-3106 202-225-6197 (fax) www.house.gov/mcdermott (to send an email go to his website) 2. Write a letter to the editor to your local newspaper thanking Rep. McDermott for his leadership and his support for both salmon and rural communities. Write it now so you can send it on Thursday! Contact me if you would like email addresses/fax numbers of regional newspapers so you can send your letter to more than one newspaper. 3. Contact your Member of Congress and ask them to become a co-sponsor of the Salmon Planning Act. You can call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 to reach your Representative's office. I have fax numbers and emails for elected leaders in the Northwest if you need them. We will keep you posted on the progress of the Salmon Planning Act. Please feel free to call me if you have any questions. Thanks for any help to can give, Sam Mace Western Outreach Coordinator Trout Unlimited 213 SW Ash, Suite 205 Portland, OR 97204 503-827-5700 ext. 12 503-827-5672 (fax) [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.tu.org
