Orca month action: nearly 15,000 Americans call on Biden Administration to save salmon, orca

This week, Environment Washington delivered petitions with nearly 15,000 signatures from Environment America and Environmental Action supporters across the nation, calling on the Biden administration to restore a free-flowing lower Snake River to save endangered salmon and orca populations.

Southern Resident orcas eat almost exclusively Chinook salmon, but their primary food source is in scarce supply all throughout their range. The lower Snake River has historically held some of the largest salmon runs in the region and has been an important food source for the Southern Resident orcas, but unfortunately, the Chinook salmon that endangered Southern Resident orcas depend on are on a path to extinction.

Removing four dams to restore the lower Snake River is the single biggest opportunity we have to bring salmon back to abundance. We have alternatives for how we can power our society and move goods from one place to another. Salmon don’t have this choice. They need a river, and orcas need salmon.

The Biden Administration’s Council on Environmental Quality is collecting public comments regarding restoring native fish in the Columbia River basin until July 3, 2023. Sign our petition here, or submit a public comment directly on the federal register here.