WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 12, 1999) – Over 300 national and grassroots organizations from across America today endorsed the retirement of four federal dams on the Lower Snake River, which was named today as America’s most endangered river. Located in eastern Washington State, the four dams are a leading threat to Snake River salmon and steelhead runs and have cost the federal government hundreds of millions of dollars.

“It’s time to cut our losses and remove these dams. Federal agencies are wasting hundreds of millions of dollars on failing schemes to barge and truck young salmon around the Lower Snake River dams. Taxpayers should not be asked to throw more good money after bad. Nor should they be asked to pay for four dams that provide relatively few benefits but are also the main threat to Snake River salmon and steelhead,” said Ralph DeGennaro, Executive Director of Taxpayers for Common Sense (TCS).

The list of endorsers for removing the four dams includes businesses, prominent individuals, Native American tribes, and organizations representing conservationists, recreationists, recreational fishermen, commercial fishermen, taxpayers and other interests. Organizations from 47 states, Australia and Japan are included in the list.

“We have driven wild salmon and steelhead to the brink of extinction on the Lower Snake River. Citizens and organizations from across the nation want to restore pacific salmon and are calling for bold action to protect this national treasure from extinction,” said Pat Ford, Executive Director of Save Our Wild Salmon (SOS).

Currently, all Snake River salmon and steelhead runs are either extinct or on the endangered species list. Scientists largely blame the lower Snake River dams, which cause more than 80% of all human-caused salmon mortality, for declining runs. Proposals calling for retirement of the dams—removal of the dirt portion which attaches the concrete structure to the river bank—would allow Snake River salmon to swim freely around the dams.

TCS led efforts to compile the list along with SOS, American Rivers, Trout Unlimited, National Wildlife Federation, Idaho Rivers United and Idaho Wildlife Federation. The seven organizations signed a cover letter inviting endorsements that said, “The listed endorsers advocate a variety of policies, but all agree on the need for retirement of the four Lower Snake River dams.”