For years, I have followed Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler’s votes listed in The Columbian. She has one of the weakest voting records as far as our environment is concerned. And scapegoating the sea lions has me irritated. Yes, they can be killed, but the problem of fish extinction will not be solved.
Besides paving the way to kill sea lions, she put forth the effort to ensure that four dams on the lower Snake River are not to be breached (despite our inept fish ladders that are driving the fish to extinction) and she also will not allow excess waters to flow over our dams (although that water would help the young fish swim downstream).
The fish problem driver is human encroachment. If we voluntarily backed off, if we did not place such a huge importance on “jobs and economy” as our economic driver, perhaps the fish could be saved.
Those homes powered by the lower Snake dam can be powered by wind. Aren’t we willing to back off some hydro power in order to save a species? Please write Herrera Beutler and tell her. Just because she is a member of Congress doesn’t make her right.
