Tribes participate in nationwide mussel watch program
Treaty tribes in Northwest Washington are working with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife to use caged mussels to analyze toxic chemicals in Puget Sound. The National Mussel Watch…
Tulalip Tribes to build wetland as stormwater filter
The Daily Herald of Everett reported on a Tulalip Tribes project to build a wetland to filter stormwater runoff into Tulalip Bay:
Tulalip Bay is one of north Snohomish County’s picturesque gems, but the Tulalip tribal government says it is suffering from pollution caused by development.
The bay sits at the bottom of land mass that is nearly funnel-shaped, with higher ground on three sides. The geography allows storm water and other polluted liquids to easily drain right into the bay, where Tulalip Indians have fished for generations. (more…)
Puyallup Tribe supplies chinook for school kids and creek
From the Federal Way Mirror: The salmon population in the Hylebos Creek is growing thanks to the work of students at Spring Valley Montessori School in Federal Way. Every year…
Streamside buffer tax unlikely to go to Skagit voters
The Skagit Valley Herald (subscription required) reports that the county commissioners do not plan to put a tax increase to pay for streamside buffers on the August ballot:
Skagit County’s plan to pay farmers for streamside buffers is unlikely to go to the voters in August, Skagit County commissioners said Friday.
A voter-approved tax increase had been a key component of the Salmon Heritage Program when it was unveiled last month. But after Tuesday’s apparent failure of four local school district bonds, the commissioners now say they don’t believe voters would support the measure.
Restoration Projects Would Improve Salmon Habitat In Salt Creek
PORT ANGELES (December 7, 2004) – The Salt Creek Watershed has about 50 miles of fish habitat, but half of it is inaccessible to salmon and trout, according to a recently completed assessment of the area.
The study, developed by the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe and the North Olympic Salmon Coalition, will be presented at a public meeting on Dec. 13 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Crescent Bay Lions Club. The two groups, along with the WRIA 19 Citizens Facilitation Group, have scheduled the public meeting to discuss the results of the assessment with local landowners and others interested in the watershed.
Being Frank: At The Confluence Of The Centuries
The confluence of the centuries should be like the joining of two rivers. As they merge, the memories of countless moments and places should fold one unto another, and form a deeper, broader flow of knowledge. As the 19th Century merged into the 20th, my father was a young man. He lived his whole life on the Nisqually River. He was born in a wooden longhouse to parents who had lived on the same river throughout their lives. The heritage of the Nisqually has been passed from generation to generation for thousands of years. As my father grew, he learned to fish, hunt and gather everything from cedar bark to a multitude of wild fruits and vegetables. He learned the legacies of stewardship.