Help Stop the Assault on Central Valley Salmon!

CSPA Action Alert 7.30.09

Greetings!

This action alert will take five minutes or less for the three e-mails we're asking you to send and another five minutes to print and mail two snail mail letters. Even so, YOUR POSITIVE ACTIONS will help ensure the rapid restoration of our salmon fisheries.

Please do your part!

Help Stop the Assault on Salmon!
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by CSPA's Conservation Director John Beuttler

The Southern Central Valley Ag Lobby has unleashed an unprecedented assault on Central Valley salmon barely clinging to existence that are to be protected under the Endangered Species Act. They are applying intense political pressure on multiple governmental targets to compel the National Marine Fishery Service (NMFS) to change their Biological Opinion on Sacramento River winter-run salmon so they can obtain increased water diversions from the Delta.

NOAA and NMFS find themselves under siege from California's corporate agriculture sector. Their first overt effort came from Valley democratic Congressman Devin Nunes who made a number of unsubstantiated claims on the floor of the House of Representatives in a nearly successful bid to remove funding from NMFS budget that would have prevented them from implementing this biological opinion.

Reliable information from Washington, DC has advised that renewed attacks aimed at Congress and key federal agencies are underway to compel amending the opinion so more water can be exported out of the Delta to these corporate growers.

CSPA has done its part. We have written letters of support to the entire California Congressional Delegation and to the various heads of the Department of the Interior, NOAA and NMFS. We're asking our friends in other fisheries advocacy groups to do the same.

Now it is your turn to help put an end to this attack on our public owned fishery resources. Make your voice heard loud and clear! We need hundreds of letters of private citizens just like you to our congressional representatives telling them that this biological opinion is essential if we are to restore salmon in the Central Valley. It's easy and three of the five letters can be sent electronically.

For more information on Big Ag's attempt to influence Congress and the federal agencies, see CSPA's Hot Button Issue: Salazar's visit and Nunes' rhetoric

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Send E-mail letters to your senators and congressman: Since we must fight back politically, we as that you send an
E-mail letter asking support of NOAA and NMFS to your congressman and your two state senators!

Click on link to find your member of the House of Representatives and send an E-mail.
https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml


Click on link to send an E-mail to State Senator Dianne Feinstein

http://feinstein.senate.gov/public/i...tactUs.EmailMe

Click on link to send an E-mail to Senator Barbara Boxer
http://boxer.senate.gov/contact/email/policy.cfm

Sample Letter

Once at the page, fill in the form blocks and then:

Enter this text into the topic block:

Re: Support for NMFS Biological Opinion & Saving California's Salmon

Enter this text into the body block:

Dear (Full Name),

I urge your support of NOAA and the implementation of the Nation Marine Fisheries Service "Biological Opinion on the Operations of the Central Valley and State Water Projects"(BiOp)

California's corporate agricultural industry is exerting a concerted effort to have Congress "roll back" this critical requirement of the Endangered Species Act. They want Congress and the federal government raid the small amount of water (5%) mandated by the BiOp to be held back for fisheries so they can take even more water out of the Delta, a waterway that is in a serious state of collapse!

The BiOp has been peer reviewed by two independent teams of scientists and found to use on the best science available to require essential measures to protect our state's salmon and steelhead fisheries. Clearly, these requirements are in the public's best interest.

The fisheries this document seeks to protect are in jeopardy of extinction due primarily to impacts caused by the state and federal water projects. These fisheries, when healthy, generate over $500 million annually to our state and national economy and represent valuable jobs and food for the people of our state.

Please encourage the administration and its agencies, the Department of the Interior, NOAA and NMFS to stand firm in the face of the misinformation campaign being conducted by some of the largest water districts in the world, rich on taxpayer subsidies, focused solely on their own self interests and possessing the most junior rights of any in our state.

Your positive actions on this matter will ensure my continued support.

Sincerely,

(Your Name)

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Unfortunately we have NOT found a way to send E-Mails to the heads of the agencies involved. Instead we ask you to send an additional brief paper letter of support:Tell them you support their efforts in carrying out the mandates of the NMFS Biological Opinion on California's Sacramento River salmon and ask them to make restoring our salmon and steelhead fisheries a TOP PRIORITY.

Cut and paste these addresses.

NOAA Fisheries
Dr. Jane Lubchenco, Administrator
1401 Constitution Avenue, NW Room 5128
Washington, DC 20230

U.S. Department of the Interior
David J. Hayes, Interior Deputy Secretary
1849 C Street, NW
Washington, DC 20240j


Sample Letter

(Your name)
(Your street)
(Your city, state and zip)

Date

(Agency Name)
(Agency head)
(Street Address)
(City, State, Zip)

Re: Support of the NMFS Biological Opinion & Saving California's Salmon

I urge you to continue your steadfast implementation of the Nation Marine Fisheries Service "Biological Opinion on the Operations of the Central Valley and State Water Projects"(BiOp)

I realize that California's corporate agricultural industry is exerting a concerted effort to have your agency or Congress "roll back" this critical requirement of the Endangered Species Act. They want Congress and the federal government raid the small amount of water (5%) mandated by the BiOp to be held back for fisheries so they can take even more water out of the Delta, a waterway that is in a serious state of collapse!

The BiOp has been peer reviewed and seeks to protect fisheries that are in jeopardy of extinction due primarily to impacts caused by the state and federal water projects. These fisheries, when healthy, generate over $500 million annually to our state and national economy and represent valuable jobs and food for the people of our state.

I urge you to stand firm in the BiOps implementation, even the face of the misinformation campaign being conducted by some of the largest water districts in the world, rich on taxpayer subsidies, focused solely on their own self interests and possessing the most junior rights of any in our state.

I have already written my two state senators, Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer and my Congressman, asking that they support your efforts. I will continue to support your agency in the form of informing others in the state of the real facts surrounding the reasons why the BiOp needs to be carried out, without delay, and for the benefit of all Californians.

Sincerely,

(Your Name)