Re: “Swinomish tribe recordsdata discover of intent to sue EPA over warming WA streams” [Feb. 22, Climate Lab]:
The article by Isabella Breda ignores essential details about salmon restoration. The Swinomish tribe’s lawsuit concerning stream temperature suggests, as earlier Seattle Instances reporting has, that habitat is the essential situation on Chinook restoration. Habitat is extraordinarily essential and stream temperature is a part of that. Tons of of thousands and thousands have been spent on habitat within the final many years and way more is spent yearly, however Chinook restoration nonetheless struggles.
Science stories make it clear why. We might restore each inch of pure habitat and it will solely have a marginal impression on Chinook numbers. That’s as a result of the first points right now are ocean situations and predation. Washington farmers have lengthy supported stream restoration, contributing to the 925 miles of streams restored and 6 million bushes planted. We help the dimensions and design of buffers represented by finest science, which scale back temperature whereas enabling farmland to maintain producing meals. The Swinomish tribe has chosen to not help these voluntary efforts.
Harbor seals in our space alone eat greater than 24 million Chinook per 12 months. Habitat enhancements ought to and can proceed, however we should always not anticipate Chinook restoration with out addressing the first issues.
Jason Vander Kooy, Mount Vernon
