A message from Jim Waddell about the 2016 election results… and endangered salmon and orcas

Given last night’s election results many of you may have laid down arms and think it is all over for getting these dams down. Trump as president was not an unforeseen obstacle although it certainly makes it tougher. But let’s keep our eyes on the goal during the last two minutes of the Obama Administration. We are a movement based on the facts, and those facts say that endangered salmon and orcas are almost out of time, only breaching the lower Snake Dams gives them any chance and only if breaching begins in the next few months or at the latest drawdown of Lower Granite Dam in July followed by breaching in December of 2017. The best chance we have is for Obama to direct or order Sec Darcy and the Chief of Engineers to do so. If he does not do this within the next 10-15 days it seems unlikely that the Corps can begin drawdown in December of this year, unless they have been working this scenario in secret. Who knows, but one has to wonder at the complete lack of mention of dam breaching in the materials presented at the public meetings for the new Environmental Impact Statement ordered by the courts, who made a point of indicating that dam breaching must be considered. Is the omission part of the white washing of the issue or is there a plan B by the DC leadership at work here (we offered a two tier EIS approach to them)? In either case we continue to make the point that this new EIS process should not include dam breaching because there is the existing EIS for the Lower Snake Dams and it has dam breaching as the most viable and only untried alternative now available.

If Obama issues an order in the last few days of his term it will be on paper and could be revoked by Trump. But, that would still be movement forward since no President has done that before. How we deal with that is for latter consideration, since such an action would draw a lot of attention in the region. For now, the right thing to do, indeed our moral obligation is to keep pushing on Inslee, Murray, Cantwell, the Corps HQ and ASACW, and the White House. All the phone calls, emails, letters, and petitions have paved the way with solid arguments on the need, the timing, passionate advocacy and the ability of our leaders to take action. Nearly all of these officials, elected, appointed or career, feared taking any overt or public action before the election. Since we have been making it painfully clear that at least their legacy will be tarnished, if not their legal record for willfully causing an extinction in violation of the Endangered Species Act, among other laws, they now are in a difficult position. However, they should also see that Obama must realize the disaster about to be unleashed on environmental gains and ought to be more inclined than ever to do whatever he can in the next 70 days.

So, the way I see it, we are down by seven, the two-minute clock is running on the Obama Administration, we have long yardage, and no time outs left. So what are we waiting for? Lets hustle like we never have before with the calls and attempts at influencing the various players that can make this happen.

Thanks for your great effort and let’s keep doing the right thing no matter the odds!

Jim Waddell
Civil Engineer, PE, USACE Retired (just the paid bit of my career)