Representative Mike Simpson's (R-Idaho) Plan to Remove Four Lower Snake River Dams

Thanks to Columbia Riverkeeper for an email about "Representative Mike Simpson ['s] (R-Idaho) historic proposal to remove the four Lower Snake River Dams and create jobs and prosperity throughout our region. Rep. Simpson’s proposal would save Snake River salmon from extinction; protect the rights of Tribal Nations; help starving orcas; and re-invest in infrastructure, agriculture, and clean, reliable energy throughout the Northwest. [par break] There are pieces of this proposal that we will work to improve, but we can’t let this historic opportunity slip through our fingers. With Snake River salmon approaching extinction, the communities and species that depend on them are also at risk. It’s time to act."

As I wrote in my post below, "Next, I hope we can help orcas and salmon by legally removing the lower four Snake River dams."

Regarding the salmon issue, I'm grateful to fisher/writer Henry Hughes, Alaskan fiddling poet Ken Waldman, and Oregon poet Florence Sage for endorsing my forthcoming book Between River and Street (MoonPath, 2021). I was outfished by Hughes in 2016, and greatly enjoyed his recent Harvard Review fishing story "Rocky and Rose." After reading it, I wrote him the story reminded me of my "social awkwardness due to my obsession with reading water and chasing fish—even when fishing partners, men and women, were troubled, ill, or had enough fishing for the day as I was just getting started with many holes, runs, undercut banks, etc to explore before dark. I’m grateful my wife, Suz, who was raised fishing the Molalla and Clackamas Rivers, fishes with me, and tolerates my fishing obsession. I may have told you about my friend Slim Bracken’s fishing bud who was late to his own wedding because fishing was good that morning. 'Don’t make Suz a fish widow' Slim warned me, explaining his friend was soon divorced after his wedding because he made his bride 'a fish widow.'"