Our Blog
September 10, 2020
Bill Kremers is a charter lifetime member of the Association. Since joining the Steelheaders, he has served in a variety of positions at both the chapter and Association level, including four years as the Association president. On July 30, 2020, the Albany Democrat Herald published an opinion piece from Bill Kremers regarding Representative DeFazios' Moving Forward Act. It is copied below for reference.
September 9, 2020
In the newest biological opinion, which the court provided an additional five years to be developed, we see another suite of measures that lack the strength to turn around the demise of the salmon and orcas. The agencies have proposed another suite of measures that jeopardize the salmon that are the heart of the promises in the Native American treaties. As the plight of the salmon grows more and more dire, more drastic measures will be required to recover salmon because the delay and obfuscation process has used up much of our lead time. Now, we have to take strong action to recover salmon, including decommissioning the four lower Snake River Dams and increasing spill at the remaining dams on the mainstem Columbia River.
September 8, 2020
Washington Fish and Wildlife Commissioner Graybill, we ask that you oppose the proposed policy that seeks to cut sport fishing allocationwhile allowing increased non-treaty gillnetting on the mainstem Columbia. Instead, keep fighting for the fish and for the entire recreational angling community.
August 14, 2020
The relationship between northwest Tribes and salmon is significant—so significant, in fact, that many groups refer to themselves as “Wy-Kan-Ush-Pum” or “Salmon People.” Historically, the Columbia River basin supported one of the most abundant salmon returns in the world, providing Indigenous communities with a reliable, year-round source of protein. Now, the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde are able to harvest 15 salmon.
July 31, 2020
To save the endangered populations of salmon and steelhead in the Columbia and Snake rivers, the Oregon District Court tasked federal agencies with developing a comprehensive, fish-friendly plan for operating the Columbia River Hydrosystem. Just like the past five plans they've produced, this “new” plan resembles previous plans that failed to restore fish runs or pass legal scrutiny. Unfortunately for sport fishers, this new plan won't recover salmon or fishing opportunities.
July 28, 2020
Norm Ritchie, long-time volunteer and board member with ANWS, submitted a letter-to-the-editor of the Headlight Herald clarifying some of the misinformation being circulated regarding the energy produced by the lower Snake River dams.
July 28, 2020
Over the past few months, the Trump administration has finalized two new rules that dramatically roll back freshwater protections under the Clean Water Act and the National Environmental Policy Act. Both of the new rules are destructive to endangered fish populations, leaving them vulnerable to a variety of impacts including infrastructure projects and climate change.
July 17, 2020
Northwest Steelheaders hosted a kids art contest to engage students in thinking about salmon conservation while they're stuck at home this summer. The theme of the contest was "Crossing Boundaries into New Waters," which is our organization's theme for 2020. We sought artwork portraying our mission to dive headlong into new waters for salmon and steelhead conservation, and the pieces were judged based on their concept, composition, color, and expression. The competition was open to students in Oregon and Washington. "True Determination" by Audrey F. won the grand prize and first place in the grades 4-5 group, which includes a $100 check and a fishing trip for her and a parent/guardian with a Steelheaders volunteer.