We asked, and you delivered. After a call to action, Save Our
wild Salmon supporters sent in nearly 1,200 Valentine’s Day cards for Dr. Jane Lubchenco, Administrator at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Several hundred of these were customized into unique limericks or heartfelt messages. Overwhelmed by the level of response we received, we wanted to share some of the love with you today by posting our top 10 favorites (some tough decisions here!). All of the valentine’s were printed and delivered to Dr. Lubchenco this morning along with some Portland, OR crafted chocolates to really show her how much we all care about restoring wild salmon to our rivers and about how important her support is on this critical issue.
Click here for the PNS radio story featuring some additional highlights. Happy Valentine’s Day to ALL of you, Salmon-Supporters!
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From Karen in Oregon:
Dear Dr. Jane Lubchenco,
Salmon are red,
Rivers are blue,
Let's sit at a table
and talk this through!
We can make a good plan
To save our native stock
And speedy implementation
Would totally rock.
Much better than chocolate
Or a beautiful red rose
Is a healthy ecosystem
And adequate flows.
So let's get to work
And together we can
Resolve all the issues
And deliver that plan.
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From Peter in Montana:
Dear Dr. Lubchenco,
Each June I stand at the overlook at Dagger Falls near the headwaters of the Middle Fork Salmon River and watch Chinook. Over and over again they leaps up the falls, only to be denied by the force of the water and come crashing back into the pool below. But they won't be denied. They try again and again until finally, they get it just right, and the desire in their body finds a way to arc through air and pounding water to reach the pool above. It's an impressive sight, made all the more impressive by the fact that these fish have already swam some 700 miles before they reach this spot. As you know, the numbers that make it are but the thinnest remnant of what used to fin these waters each year, providing nourishment for Shoshone, eagle, bear, even the lodge pole and spruce forests that line the bank. Unfortunately the state of salmon conservation in Idaho feels a bit like the salmon that keeps leaping and falling back into the pool below. Years of negotiations and effort have failed to find a way to successfully get past the political barriers and reach the pool above the falls. Yet that is where we need to go. For it is in the reaches and side streams above the falls that these salmon find the conditions needed to spawn. Only beyond the falls of political gridlock can we ensure the conditions necessary that these salmon will continue to make this incredible, nourishing journey for millennium to come. To get there, we need a solid working plan. Time is running out. Please ensure that our next leap is the successful one and that the millions of years of knowledge encoded in these fish will not die out on our watch.
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From Glenyce in Washington:
Dear Dr. Lubchenco,
Salmon are red,
Rivers are blue,
Let's sit at a table
and talk this through!
My People cry
'cause the fish die
before they reach Home
to breed and survive!
Free flowing water,
clear, cool, and pure,
helps all God's creatures
live well in the future.
Our duty's clear,
to clean the mess,
preserve and protect,
Wild Salmon, the best!
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From William in Nevada:
Dear Dr. Jane Lubchenco,
Please help initiate a new dialogue among key stakeholders, including fisherman, farmers, and clean energy companies, to meet at a "solutions table' and use science and economics to consider all credible salmon restoration options, including removing the dams in the lower Snake River in eastern Washington.
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From Susan in Washington:
Dear Dr. Jane Lubchenco,
Salmon are red,
Rivers are blue,
Let's sit at a table
and talk this through!
Orcas are black & white,
Chinook salmon are yummy,
We need to make sure there's enough
to fill EVERY orca's tummy!
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From Eric in Alaska:
Dear Dr. Jane Lubchenco,
I have been in love with salmon trolling since my parents took me fishing on their small troller when I was five months old. It has been a wonderful romance for over 60 years. I have dedicated myself to conserving salmon since I read, "Return to the River," the life story of a Chinook salmon, when I was 10 years old. I have been the recipient of national awards from the US Forest Service and National Fisherman Magazine for my work helping conserve salmon. But, nothing I have done can compare to what you can do by taking aggressive leadership on the Columbia-Snake Basin. Please lead.
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From Justin in Idaho:
Dear Dr. Jane Lubchenco,
How much more money needs spend, data collected, or time wasted before we come to conclusion the river system we have created does not work for anyone. Salmon and Steelhead die by the millions before ever reaching the ocean. Sediment is plugging reservoirs and threatening the very communities and industries they were designed to protect. Agencies are playing tug of war with communities up and down Snake promising solutions and providing none. Please help be part of the solution and end the gridlock that is only prolonging the inevitable before extinction of our wild stocks ends it first.
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From Matt in Colorado:
Dear Dr. Jane Lubchenco,
There is no way to calculate the enormous value of salmon to our ecosystems and our economy. No resource extraction or dam/reservoir project will outweigh the benefits of conserving, enhancing, or restoring salmon habitat, regardless what the proponents of these projects say. My experiences with rivers and the ecosystems they feed have granted me immeasurable joy since childhood and eventually led me to my career. It makes me very sad to think that one day my children may not be able to experience rivers and fish the way I have. It is my obligation as a concerned citizen, future father, and professional to voice these concerns in hopes that you and our U.S. government make the right decisions regarding the future of salmon.
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From Lisa in Kentucky:
Dear Dr. Lubchenco,
Salmon are red,
Rivers are blue,
Let's sit at a table
and talk this through!
We can work it out
to the benefit of all
if you'll take a few minutes
to heed our call!
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From Scott in New Jersey:
Dear Dr. Jane Lubchenco,
No time like the present to secure a future for our salmon – restoring salmon & rivers is a boon to the economy for the jobs created in the local community. Please help get the dialogue going.
Thank you & Happy Valentine's Day!
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The lovely, awesome Susan Holmes delivering your Valentine's Day messages to Dr. Lubchenco in DC today (photo by Lucy Cosgrove, age 5).
