The Sun Journal editorial opposing legal protection for Atlantic salmon in the Androscoggin River (Sept. 8) does a great disservice to the people of the Androscoggin River valley. The editorial does not offer a single reason to support the opinion, except saying a listing might be “controversial.”

I am one of the plaintiffs who filed suit in federal court to cause the U.S. Department of Interior to propose protecting Atlantic salmon in the Androscoggin, Kennebec and Penobscot rivers under the U.S. Endangered Species Act. As a plaintiff, I am well versed in the laws pertinent to this issue.

The United States Endangered Species Act requires Atlantic salmon in the Androscoggin River to be legally protected because they are now in danger of extinction. That is the law. The U.S. Department of Interior has followed the law and done its job.

Basically, the editorial states the department should not do its job. The editorial states the department should refuse to enforce the Endangered Species Act just because you don’t want them to.

Since when has it been a good idea for a cabinet-level federal agency to refuse to enforce the law? Since when has it been a good idea to let a wildlife species native to Maine slide to extinction?

The editorial suggests that everything would be better and everyone would get along better if we could just ignore those pesky little things called state and federal laws.

Shame on you.

Douglas Watts, Augusta