We are always looking for people to write letters to the editor (LTEs) to statewide and local papers.  Many local papers publish every letter they receive, making it a very effective way of getting our message out to the public and to decision makers.  Most papers allow submitters to be published once a month, so send your letters early and often!

If you feel you have more to say than the space provided for LTEs, try submitting a guest editorial or op-ed.  Please feel free to send a copy of any letters you are submitting to Michael Lang at michael@gorgefriends.org.

Current hot issues

The proposed Cascade Locks casino

We need to convince Senator Smith and Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne that an off reservation mega-casino in the heart of the Columbia River Gorge is a bad idea. We also need to clear up common misconceptions that are perpetuated by casino advocates and the media.

Getting letters into the publications listed below is critical.  Please help us and submit a letter today!

Key Points:

• Hood River Site a Red Herring
  The Hood River site is not physically buildable nor legally available for gambling purposes.  The threat that the casino can and will be built in Hood River if the Cascade Locks site is not approved is a red herring and should not be used by anyone to justify the more lucrative Cascade Locks site. For more information about this issue please see our fact sheet.
• Traffic Congestion and air pollution
  Air pollution is already at a dangerous level in the Gorge. A recent study showed that fog and rain in the Gorge is 10 to 30 times more acidic than usual Northwest rainfall, and it stands among some of the most polluted places in the country, including Pittsburgh and Los Angeles. The source of the pollution is mainly from cars, planes, trains, barges, power plants and cattle feed lots. It is already causing damage to natural and cultural resources in the Gorge. Adding millions of additional car and bus trips to bring the 3,000,000 annual visitors and 1,200 employees to Cascade Locks will dramatically increase traffic and make visibility and air quality far worse.
• Urban expansion into the National Scenic Area
  Locating a large casino and resort in the small town of Cascade Locks would also lead to an explosion of unplanned growth, increasing pressure on this small town to greatly expand their urban growth boundary that currently protects surrounding scenic area lands.
• Scenic Impact
  The sprawling mega-casino with its immense parking lots and profuse lighting will be visible for miles in the Gorge.
  
• Harm that will be done to water quality, fish and wildlife habitat
  Millions of square feet of casino development along the Columbia River may harm water quality, fish and wildlife habitat. This area is home to bald eagles, osprey, great blue herons and also provides habitat for salmon and steelhead.
  
• More Casinos - A dangerous precedent
  Approval of an off-reservation casino would lead to other Tribes with Gorge interests demanding equal treatment - a continuation of the gambling "arms race" Kulongoski himself wrote about in a 1996 op-ed.  Do we really want the Gorge to become the next Lake Tahoe?  Oregonians support the status-quo - one casino per tribe on reservation lands.  This casino would upset the balance that exists today.
  

Keep your letter local and personal and keep it to the paper's requested word limit.  If you are working off of a sample letter, personalize it - papers will only publish unique letters.  Always sign your letters and provide your address and a daytime phone number.  Papers often call to confirm the letter writer's existance.

The Statesman-Journal has a good tips sheet for letter writing.

Statewide Publications

The Oregonian
Letters to the Editor
1320 SW Broadway
Portland, OR 97201
email: letters@news.oregonian.com
Limit: 150 words

Gorge Publications

The Columbian
PO Box 180
Vancouver, WA 98666
fax: 360-699-6033
email: letters@columbian.com
Limit: 200 words

The Camas-Washougal Post-Record
PO Box 1013
Camas, WA 98607
web form: http://www.camaspostrecord.com/CPRToEditor.html

The Skamania County Pioneer
198 SW Second St.
Stevenson, WA 98648
email: scpioneer@gorge.net

The Goldendale Sentinal
117 W. Main
Goldendale, WA 98620
email: rmiller@goldendalesentinel.com
Limit: 300 words

The Dalles Chronicle
P.O. Box 1910
The Dalles, OR 97058
email: kgray@eaglenewspapers.com

web form: http://www.thedalleschronicle.com/opinion
Limit: 400 words

Hood River News
P.O. Box 390
Hood River, OR 97031
web form: http://www.hoodrivernews.com
Limit: 350 words

The Gresham Outlook
Tiffaney O'Dell
email: todell@theoutlookonline.com

Other Important Publications

The Seattle P-I
P-I Letters to the Editor
Box 1909
Seattle, WA 98111-1909
Fax: (206) 448-8184
E-mail: editpage@seattlepi.com
Limit: 200 words

The Olympian
PO Box 407
Olympia, WA 98507
web form: http://www.theolympian.com/home/services/forms/letter2editor.shtml
Limit: 250 words

The Salem Statesman-Journal
Letters to the Editor
P.O. Box 13009
Salem, OR, 97309-3009
fax: (503) 399-6706
e-mail: letters@StatesmanJournal.com
web form: http://www.statesmanjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?Category=xsendmail
Limit: 200 words