Just like an old junker, breaking down and no longer safe for anyone on the road, the aging and outdated lower Snake River dams won’t get us where we need to go, especially as we electrify our future. Worse, they are pushing our salmon and orca to the brink of extinction.
Salmon populations are at the heart of a rich yet fragile ecosystem, and they are crashing. These fish are the fabric of life in the Northwest and it’s our responsibility to steward our resources for the next generation by restoring the lower Snake River. We are fortunate to find ourselves at the intersection of forward-looking climate change policies and technological innovation for clean energy; innovations that won’t put salmon on the path to extinction.
Leadership on this issue is hard but happening. When Sen. Patty Murray and Gov. Jay Inslee issued their Lower Snake River Dams: Benefit Replacement Report, they not only demonstrated that replacing the services these dams provide is both feasible and affordable, they demonstrated true leadership.
It’s time to prepare the plan and act on the energy transition that is coming to the Northwest. We have options for renewable energy that will not destroy the salmon runs and the wildlife that define our region. Our future depends on it.
Cynthia Jones
Edmonds
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