To mark the UN’s World Wildlife Day, we gathered a bunch of friends who love salmon and orca to create a Human Orca Mural. The action called on Senators Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray, Governor Jay Inslee, and President Joe Biden to nourish the Southern Resident orca (including the new orca calf spotted this week!) and to save the Snake River salmon from extinction by BREACHING the four Lower Snake River dams. [Share this email and videos to spread the word.]

But our favorite video is this fun one of folks radiating into an orca shape.

We are very grateful to all those who helped make this possible (See below*) In a world filled with problems we have little power to impact, stepping up for the salmon and orca is something the people of Washington, Idaho and Oregon can rally behind to make a better future for our children.

If you can, PLEASE support this work so we can continue showing up vibrantly, with actions the media wants to report, championing our message and getting the attention of policymakers.

NEXT ACTION Opportunities:

• Multi-City Banner Action: Monday, March 14, calling for restoration of the Lower Snake, for International Day of Action for Rivers! Sign up HERE to banner (3/14) in Wenatchee, Seattle, Tacoma, Portland, Bend, Boise, Spokane, Edmonds, Walla Walla, Vashon.
• Prop Training in Backbone Warehouse: Meet the crew, learn skills and how to deploy the inflatable salmon and orca, March 16, 4-7pm.  RSVP HERE
• Tacoma Rally and March: Stop Salmon Extinction – Free the Snake River, March 26, 10-12:30pm. More info and to sign up CLICK HERE.

Snake River Dam Breaching – in a Nutshell

Salmon are an example of nature’s capacity for abundance – if humans get out of the way. Today, the salmon of the Columbia-Snake Ecosystem are on the precipice of extinction.

The four dams on the Lower Snake River, all located in Eastern Washington, are salmon killing machines – in multiple ways. These dams provide nothing that is essential and nothing that can’t be replaced. Rail can handle the wheat and other crops. They are not essential for either power supply or irrigation. They provide zero flood control.

Re-wilding the Snake River, on the other hand, will return multiple historic and traditional sites and will increase recreation and fishing opportunities. This can be done swiftly by breaching the earthen berm sections of each of the four dams.

Breaching is our only option. Allowing these salmon and steelhead runs to go extinct would be a crime against the Indigenous people of this region and future generations.

Wild salmon need wild rivers!

TAKE ACTION NOW at SaveSalmon.org

Support Backbone’s creative work HERE

Thank you for helping make Backbone Campaign’s work possible. If you are not already part of our sustaining members, JOIN the LUMBAR CLUB TODAY HERE.

In Collaboration & Gratitude, 

Amy, Bill & Team Backbone

PS – View this email at our website HERE.

* The phenomenal drone footage for the reverse coming together of the orca was shot by Justen Weber of WWW.ARTVIZ3D.COM, in collaboration with filmmaker Mark Titus of the www.thewildfilm.com

We are grateful to all who showed up and helped make the orca! And thank you to the many folks who pitched in with set up and clean up, as well as to videographer Jeff Dunnicliff, speakers Joseph Bogaard and Owen Begley-Collier. For images to share on social media, check out Backbone’s Flickr Album