Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission

Puyallup Tribal News:

With news that a proposed lease of Clarks Creek Hatchery to a for-profit seafood company has been suspended, community groups, lawmakers and Puyallup Tribe officials gathered this week to find alternatives to keep the hatchery producing fish as well as educating the public about the environment.

The state Department of Fish and Wildlife suspended talks last week with Portland-based Pacific Seafood after a host of voices raised concerns about the proposal. Area lawmakers had questioned why they were not told of the proposed 50-year, or even 70-year, lease or what any deal would mean to the hatchery’s role in environmental education. Resident groups worried that the shift in operation would cut off their access to the hatchery grounds and mean more pollution in the water and traffic on nearby streets. Tribal members worried the change would hurt salmon production on the Puyallup River and wondered why the deal did not follow an open-bid process. No draft lease or summary of proposed lease terms has ever been made public.