Confluence: art + salmon conservation.
31st of Mar 2020
CONFLUENCE – where art and conservation meet.
Advocates for the West is honored to collaborate with contemporary landscape painter Rachel Teannalach on an exciting new series titled Confluence. In this project, we are working in tandem to advocate for the Pacific Salmon and the elaborate river and ocean ecosystems this imperiled species calls home.
Teannalach has created a series of paintings of the majestic landscapes through which the salmon swim on their way from Sawtooth Valley in Idaho to the Pacific Ocean. These paintings will be exhibited along the migration route in public exhibitions, accompanied by staff from Advocates for the West. The art intends to inspire the heart, while the information presented by our attorneys will give insight into the science, politics and current status of the Pacific Salmon’s plight.
25% of all purchases of prints and original artwork goes toward our fight for the survival of the salmon and all those who depend on the health of our rivers and oceans, including the Puget Sound resident orcas.
**Our current exhibition schedule is on hold due to CV-19. Currently, our first in-person event is June 19th in Moscow, Idaho, as part of the Annual Moscow Art Walk at Colter’s Creek Winery. Schedule will be updated as life unfolds.
For now, you can support the project through purchases at: www.teannalach-confluenceproject.com
CASE UPDATES
Another critical step toward victory for Columbia River Basin salmon and steelhead!
| March 30, 2020 —The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals denied the EPA’s petition to rehear our successful case. Not a single Ninth Circuit judge showed interest in rehearing the case. Now, unless it seeks US Supreme Court review, EPA will finally have to prepare a plan to address the Columbia River basin’s warm water and the lethal effects it has on wild salmon and steelhead populations. Read More About the Case |
Taking Action for Willamette River Basin Salmon and Steelhead
| March 12, 2020 – Advocates for the West filed suit against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for failing to address our concerns over the agency’s plans to reallocate over 1.6 million acre feet of water from the Willamette River Basin to agricultural irrigation and peak-season city water demands. The Corps continues to push its plan even though it just began a comprehensive environmental study of its dams in the Upper Willamette Basin and even though it recently began a re-consultation with the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) over the impact of its dams on threatened salmon and steelhead. Meanwhile, the Corps says it doesn’t need to do a detailed environmental study on the water reallocation plan because it claims the plan won’t have a “significant” impact on the environment. Our lawsuit argues that, under the ESA, the Corps must at least wait until it finishes its consultation with NMFS – so it has an updated assessment of how much water the threatened salmon and steelhead need – before deciding how much of the water stored in its reservoirs to allocate to other uses. We have filed an emergency injunction motion to try and stop the reallocation plan before it gets set in stone and allow NMFS time to finish the ESA consultation. We are representing WaterWatch of Oregon, Northwest Environmental Defense Center and WildEarth Guardians in this case. Read More About the Case |
