Ask the Governor to help save the Salton Sea

The Salton Sea, one of California’s largest bodies of water and one of its most important bird habitats, has long been a vexing conservation issue. Over the last several decades, as water has been siphoned off for agricultural and urban use, dust emissions have increasingly threatened public health. This use has also dramatically altered the quality of the water that hundreds of thousands of migrating shorebirds rely upon for survival. Some of the massive die-offs of birds and other wildlife at Salton Sea have been tragic.

Now we need your help to make it right. Recently, the California Legislature voted in favor of Senate Bill 187, which provides important funding and leadership mechanisms to perform dust control and ecosystem restoration. The bill is waiting for Governor Schwarzenegger's signature right now, and all we need now is for the Governor to do the right thing.

Let the Governor know that this is the last, best chance we’ll have to save the Salton Sea. Tell him to sign SB 187

Unfortunately, Governor Schwarzenegger doesn't accept emails directly from constituents, but he does allow for online input through a form on his website. Click here to visit his contact page and let him know that you support SB 187.

When you get to the section on the Governor's website that asks for your input, you can paste the following letter, or customize it:

Please sign Senate Bill 187, which was recently passed by the California State Legislature. This bill represents one of the last, best chances we as Californians will ever have to do the right thing about the Salton Sea.

 

Salton Sea is a public health hazard and ecological disaster in the making. As scary as that sounds, the solution exists in SB 187. Not only will it provide the funding and leadership necessary to mitigate dust emissions, but it will also restore the Sea's imperiled ecosystem, which is home to hundreds of thousands of migrating shorebirds each year.

 

The California Legislature committed to doing these things in 2003, when it struck a major agreement to transfer Colorado River water from Imperial Valley to San Diego. Funding already exists for this through Proposition 84 funds.

 

Please do what's right and sign Senate Bill 187.

To learn more about Audubon California and the Salton Sea, click here.