Tell Congress: Salmon are in JEOPARDY! SYRCL Collects Over 2,000 Postcards to Tell Congress to Save Yuba Salmon

Recognizing that it will ultimately take an act of Congress to save salmon in jeopardy of extinction, the South Yuba River Citizens League (SYRCL) launched a letter writing campaign and collected over 2,000 postcards during the 2013 Wild & Scenic Film Festival.  The postcards, which will be hand-delivered to Senators Feinstein and Boxer and Congressmen Garamendi and LaMalfa, urge area lawmakers to protect threatened species of spring-run Chinook salmon, steelhead and green sturgeon.

The postcards depicted cartoon salmon and steelhead playing the famous TV game show, Jeopardy, to illustrate that these fish are in “jeopardy” of extinction.   SYRCL had set a goal of collecting 1,000 postcards, which was surpassed within 24 hours.

“Attendees at the film festival are inspired to take action,” said SYRCL’s River People Coordinator Miriam Limov who organized the effort.  “Writing our Federal representatives is an effective way for citizens to tell Congress we need their leadership to get threatened salmon over the two federally-owned dams in the Yuba River watershed.”

Following the November election, the Yuba watershed has new representation in Congress.  Congressmen John Garamendi and Doug LaMalfa will now represent the two districts which share portions of the Yuba River and Englebright Dam.

“SYRCL looks forward to meeting with Representatives Garamendi and La Malfa and enlisting their leadership to help restore wild salmon, create a healthy environment, and bolster our economy,” said SYRCL Executive Director Caleb Dardick.