Southern Resident Killer Whales Visit LRF Conference

Details

Published: Monday, 23 September 2019 20:21

Seven Reardan High School FFA (Future Farmers of America) students will bring the plight of the Southern Resident Killer Whales front and center at the conference the morning of November 20th. Register today.

In a fast-paced, 15-minute presentation, students will present the pros and cons of whether and how much to invest in orca recovery, including recommendations set forth by the Southern Resident Killer Whale Task Force appointed by Governor Inslee. Said their teacher Rick Perleberg, “The students have invested hundreds of hours in research and preparation. That includes 16 presentations to community groups, agencies and elected officials.”

And all their work has paid off!! In May they won the Washington State FAA competition. Now they’re off to the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis this October.

“In 2016,” said Forum Executive Director Andy Dunau, “the students went to nationals and then presented at the conference on the subject of Salmon Reintroduction. Frankly, they stole the show. There’s something remarkable and comforting about seeing impeccably prepared and poised teenagers take a deep dive into the science and policies of such a complex and emotionally-charged issue.”

This spring, five orca recovery bills addressing recommendations from the task force became law. They include a focus on protecting orcas from vessel noise and traffic, improving the safety of oil transportation through the Salish Sea, and increasing fish forage habitat and Chinook salmon for the orca’s food source.

As Chinook are one of the species being investigated for reintroduction to the Upper Columbia, Lake Roosevelt once again finds itself at ground zero of a basin-wide debate. “That’s also why the team is strategically placed on the agenda before U.S. and Canadian presentations on the status and development of salmon reintroduction plans,” said Dunau.

Many thanks to the Reardan team for modeling effective balanced dialog in our communities.