Salmon Victims of Trump Fake News

Trump Administration Declares Salmon in Washington State are Fully Protected

Clearcuts

Seven years ago, two federal agencies—EPA and NOAA—acknowledged that Washington salmon and their habitat continue to decline” and that water quality in Puget Sound is “poor” or “very poor.”  Back then, the agencies agreed with the Western Washington Treaty Tribes that the federal government should meet its treaty obligations by requiring Washington to do more to protect salmon and meet water quality standards.  But now, the Trump Administration agencies have announced their preliminary determination that Washington is doing a fine job of reducing polluted runoff and protecting salmon.

So, what has changed since 2013?

• Wild Puget Sound Chinook salmon have been in general showing declining trends since the 1980s.
• The population of Puget Sound’s Southern Resident Killer Whales continues to decline, from 82 orcas in 2013 to 73 now.
• Washington Department of Ecology’s attempt to create guidance on streamside protections for agricultural lands has stalled out.
• Washington’s water “pollution diet” (TMDL) program has stalled out.
• The needed revision to Washington’s logging rules to protect non-salmon streams has stalled out.

In other words, Washington has not shown any progress in establishing a program that protects and restores salmon, steelhead, and aquatic-dependent wildlife and their habitats.

The agencies are have extended the comment period so they will be taking comments on their proposed determination

until September 14, 2020.

Help move Washington in the right direction by opposing the federal agencies’ proposal to rubber stamp the state’s business-as-usual approach to salmon and water quality.