May a judge be considered a keystone species? If so, I nominate U.S. District Court Judge Michael Simon, who issued an order on Feb. 25 that has far-reaching benefits for our threatened Columbia basin ecosystem, (“Judge orders changes to Columbia and Snake river dam operations to help salmon,” Feb. 26). Carefully coordinating and balancing science and hydropower system logistics, Simon has ordered what could well be a double salvation: at one end, for the baby Chinook salmon who will be heading downstream to the ocean starting next week; at the other end, for the starving Southern Resident orcas, who need these salmon to survive that downstream journey, mature and fulfill their historical role as the orcas’ main food.

News Source : https://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/2026/03/readers-respond-judge-helping-endangered-fish-survive.html