Liz Hamilton, Executive Director of the Northwest Sportfishing Industry Association, wrote a letter asking Secretary of the Interior, Ryan Zinke, not to alter the current designation, protections, or size of the Hanford Reach National Monument. In April, President Trump signed an executive order allowing national monument designations to be rescinded or reduced in size, allowing development of currently protected federal lands. Hanford Reach is one of several monuments that could be affected by this Order.
Granted National Monument protection under President Bill Clinton, Hanford Reach encompasses almost 200,000 acres of land in eastern Washington. Known for its historical significance of being home to a major American nuclear development area in WWII and the Cold War, this relatively undisturbed stretch of the Columbia River is also critical habitat for Columbia River Fall Chinook.
Please read Ms. Hamilton’s letter to Secretary Zinke below and contact your representatives, letting them know the vital role Hanford Reach National Monument plays in sustaining this important Columbia salmon population.
NSIA Hanford letter