Newsletter of Water4Fish.org
April, 2012
Water4Fish Database Provides Powerful Grassroots Action on Key Fishery Issues
The Water4Fish advocacy program was started in 2007. Its purpose then and its purpose now is to give California fishermen and fishing supporters a voice in the state and federal issues that involve the management of water in California. Generally fish are on the short end of water policies from one end of the state to the other. Diversions, pollution and the water flow and temperature conditions that fish need to survive are frequently ignored as decisions are made. Water4rFish has changed many of these decisions. Since 2007 we have accumulated over 85,000 signatures either online or on the hardcopy petitions we carry to shows and other events. These are now helping our cause a lot.
When you sign onto Water4Fish two things happen. First an email goes the political leaders you have designated indicating you are not happy with the water policies that are destroying fish. Second, your email along with your name and address goes into the confidential Water4Fish action file. Your name is added to all the others that have sent emails to your legislators. Frequently the number of emails that are accumulated for any given legislator numbers into the thousands. When a key bill or legislative action that will damage fish, Water4Fish will present a list of the constituents in his district that want the fish protected. This will often swing a vote for the fish. We should point out. Your email is never divulged. When you sign onto Water4Fish you have our complete assurance your email will never be released, loaned or sold to any other party. It is held in strict confidence. We will only use it to inform you of critical issues the fisheries are facing.
In the last few years Water4Fish has assisted with another strategy that is working very well. When we are facing a critical issue that will be very damaging to one or more fisheries, we now put out a newsletter calling your attention to the issue and asking you to send a letter to the legislators or agencies that can change the outcome. We will usually set letters up in two formats. The first is an email that you can send with only a few mouse clicks. The other is sample letters we will draft that you can copy, personalize and mail to the recipient. We have used this system twice in the last year with good success. The first time was when Congressman Devon Nunes from Fresno entered a bill in Congress that would have destroyed the Central Valley salmon runs. It would have given all the water that the salmon need to San Joaquin agriculture. Thousands of letters descended on Congress and the bill was killed in tjhe Senate.
The most recent mass letter campaign delt with the issue initiated by the water contractors that would have destroyed the Bay and Delta striped bass by removing all fishing regulations. In about three weeks and two action alerts Water4Fish generated 6,000 emails that want to the Fish and Game Commission opposing the proposal. The Commission killed it in a unanimous vote.
We have hit one problem. Many thousands of our supporters have changed their emails and we have lost track of them. If you see this notice and have changed your email, please go to Water4Fish.org, fill out the form and send a new set of letters. The more supporters we have signed up, the more influence we can collectively have.
Thanks for your continuing support. Water4Fish now has over 85,000 supporters who have sent letters and signed petitions.
Dick Pool - editor
Water4Fish.org P.O. Box 5788, Concord, CA 94524, email action@water4fish.org