We did it!
You stopped the clock!!
As of September 4th, the BPA reversed its decision and will restore the SAFE program's funding for one year. Thank you!
THE CLOCK IS TICKING
Time is running out. Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) plans to cut the money that raises 7+ million salmon. These fish keep your Columbia River fisheries alive. Speak up now before it’s too late.
TAKE ACTION NOW
Contact BPA and tell them to reverse their decision and save the SAFE Program. Every action, every message, every second counts. The clock is ticking.
Submit a Comment
via your preferred fishing organization and use the provided scripts
WHY FISH ARE AT RISK
For more than 30 years, BPA has paid for fish hatchery production under the Columbia River Select Area Fisheries (SAFE) salmon hatchery program, operated by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Clatsop County, and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. SAFE raises salmon that you and your family rely on for fisheries in the lower Columbia River. These hatchery fish keep your fishery going — if you fish Buoy 10, there’s a good chance you’ve caught a SAFE‑raised salmon.​
​On June 18, BPA suddenly announced its decision to cut funding for the SAFE salmon hatchery program which has raised and released fish for 30+ years.
BPA told ODFW that it does not believe that they are obligated to mitigate for the loss of harvest opportunity as a result of their operations– this flies in the face of their 30-year history of supporting the program, a plain reading of the Northwest Power Act, and funding recommendations of the Northwest Power and Conservation Council.
BPA did this with less than 3 months of notice. ODFW already has 7+ million fish in hatcheries for next year’s production. If this decision is not reversed by Sept 30, those fish will be lost (either released too early or destroyed), Gnat Creek hatchery will close, and your favorite fishery will suffer because there will be far fewer fish in the lower river to catch.
HOW BPA'S DECISION HURTS ANGLERS & COMMUNITIES
What is the impact of the SAFE program ending?
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Millions of young salmon (spring Chinook and coho) already in hatchery production are in limbo.
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Without SAFE funding, Gnat Creek Hatchery near Astoria will close.
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Without continued funding, sport anglers will lose out on an estimated 34,000 SAFE-produced salmon they catch every year. Sport anglers catch more than a third of SAFE produced salmon.
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The loss of the SAFE program will cause ripple effects on the local economy.
“This may sound like one more fight over a government program with a long name. But for people who live and work on the lower Columbia, this is about whether there are fish to catch, jobs to work, and paychecks to bring home.”
– Rep. Javadi (North Coast)
