Spirit of the Salmon

"Each spring, the tribal communities in the Columbia River basin in the Pacific Northwest host a salmon feast honoring the sacrifices the fish make for the welfare of the Yakama, Nez Perce, Umatilla, and Warm Springs tribes. The fishing communities rely on the once-bountiful salmon to support their livelihood. But several years, ago salmon runs were so low that they had to buy the fish in order to have enough for the feast." This is the story of the decline of salmon in the Columbia River and the efforts by local tribes, conservation groups and businesses to restore the rivers and bring back the salmon.

Their plan is called Wy-Kan-Ush-Mi Wa-Kish-Wit, “Spirit of the Salmon” and it's an ambitious one -- to halt the decline within seven years, and to bring back the runs to host 4 million salmon each year within 25 years. This is likely to require the removal of several dams on the river, which are currently an impediment to these populations (as if swimming up stream weren't difficult enough!) The next steps in this process appear to lie in the hands of NOAA fisheries (the body directed to protect these endangered species). The agency will consider it's next move on May 5th. Support for dam removal to restore this critical habitat is overwhelming. Let's hope NOAA agrees.