Thanks to our friends at Save Our wild Salmon, we were alerted to this unprecedented opportunity for salmon and river restoration in our State. We hope you’ll join SOS, Backbone Campaign, tribes, and other salmon advocates by spending a few minutes (between now and Wednesday morning) that will help ensure the vitality of Pacific Northwest salmon and rivers.

2022 is a year of great urgency and opportunity for salmon recovery in Washington State and the Pacific Northwest. As you likely know, a growing number of wild salmon and steelhead populations hang on the precipice of extinction. Bold, urgent action is needed this year to begin to reverse these declines and rebuild abundant salmon populations.

On deck is ensuring the passage of the Lorraine Loomis Act for Salmon Recovery (Senate Bill 5727 and House Bill 1838):

• This Act, named after the Swinomish Tribal and fisheries leader, would create a new salmon habitat standard to protect and restore riparian habitat. The new standard implements recommendations from the State-Tribal Riparian Protection and Restoration Work Group that the governor and tribes established at the 2019 Centennial Accord.
• This Bill is a top legislative priority for tribes.
• Info about the bill is in this Medium Article by Governor Inslee’s office.

The legislative session is moving quickly, and The Lorraine Loomis Act for Salmon Recoveryis scheduled for the first hearing this Wednesday, January 19th at 10am.

Here are 3 easy ways to help move this Bill forward: 

1. Use this link to express support for the bill, prior to Jan 19th at 10am. Simply submit your contact info and select “PRO”.

2. Your written testimony can be submitted through a similar online process at this link. (See below for talking points.)

3. Contact your State Legislators by completing this easy form, so when this comes up for a Floor Vote, they know you want them to vote YES.

KEY MESSAGING (your message is strongest in your own words!):

We need urgent action to protect, restore, and maintain healthy, resilient habitat for salmon recovery.  Salmon are an indicator species dependent upon fully functioning, healthy riparian areas, and as wild salmon decline, the water quality and all other species in our aquatic systems decline as a result.

The Lorraine Loomis Act for Salmon Recovery is a top legislative priority for Tribes and the environmental community.  The Act must:

• Require that rivers and streams are surrounded by tall trees and vegetation zones  wide enough to keep waters cool. Healthy riparian zones provide food for salmon, to reduce pollution from storm water, and protect downstream communities from floods.
• Establish the Riparian Habitat Conservation Grant Program to cover 70-90% of project costs needed to protect, maintain, and restore riparian management zones.
• Provide oversight and accountability, monitor habitat conditions, and adapt the program over time.  Monitoring is critical to long-term success.

Creative Action Organizing:

To sign up for bannering and other creative actions for salmon restoration and re-wilding the Snake, fill out the form at the bottom of this page.

Thank you for taking time for salmon and rivers – your actions will make a difference!