Wild Salmon

Read more about the article Thirty Cent Creek Reconnected to Sooes River
The connection of the Thirty Cent Creek to the Sooes River was blocked by the artificial pond created by past timber practices.

Thirty Cent Creek Reconnected to Sooes River

The connection of the Thirty Cent Creek to the Sooes River was blocked by the artificial pond created by past timber practices.
An important winter refuge for salmon and trout has been reconnected to Thirty Cent Creek, a tributary of the Sooes River on the Makah Tribe’s reservation.

“This project has been identified for some time and we were finally able to get the pieces to line up to make it happen,” said Ray Colby, water quality specialist for the Makah Tribe. Previously located on private commercial timberlands, the site is one of several acquired by the Makah Tribe as tribal fee lands. (more…)

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Quinault Indian Nation opposes dams in Chehalis River basin

QIN Chairman Fawn Sharp
QIN Chairman Fawn Sharp

The Quinault Indian Nation opposes the construction of two dams proposed for the Chehalis River basin and has requested government-to-government consultation with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to discuss potential environmental impacts. “We fear that constructing the dams would add to the sad legacy of problems caused by decades of neglect and damage to ecological processes that are vital to the salmon resources protected by our treaty with the United States,” QIN President Fawn Sharp said today.

“We have a duty to protect the fish, wildlife and other natural resources that have sustained our culture and economy for countless generations,” Sharp said. “We want to work collaboratively with state and local governments, private organizations and others to meet our collective needs to the extent possible.  It’s time for everyone to work together to sustain an environment that’s healthy for fish as well as ourselves.” (more…)

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Treaty Tribes, State Develop Salmon Seasons That Protect Weak Wild Stocks

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OLYMPIA – State and tribal salmon co-managers have crafted a conservation-based package of fisheries for 2009 that will protect weak wild runs while providing limited harvest for treaty tribal and state sport and commercial fisheries.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the annual cooperative season-setting process known as North of Falcon. The name refers to a cape on the northern Oregon coast that marks the southern boundary of where the treaty tribes and the states of Washington and Oregon cooperatively manage fisheries.
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Sport fishermen benefit from short tribal fishery

Sharp cuts in fishing by the Puyallup Tribe of Indians this year will allow sport fishermen to start fishing for chinook on the Puyallup River two weeks early. "The tribe is going to be off the water more this year to reduce impacts on returning chinook, and this gave more opportunity for sport fishermen," said Chris Phinney, the tribe's salmon fisheries management biologist. The cuts by the tribe were agreed to last spring during the tribal and state salmon fisheries management process.

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Don’t let fishing be the scapegoat

Fishing opportunities in Northwest waters have just about disappeared. It’s a situation that has strained relations between Indians and non-Indians – the state, local governments, environmental organizations, businesses and even fishermen. It’s also a condition we can improve, if we follow the truth, and that truth goes right to habitat. Fishermen have made the lion’s share of sacrifice so far, and cutting back on fisheries to the degree we have has not been easy on our people. Empty freezers and smoke houses hurt deeply, physically, economically and culturally.

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State-tribal project marks century of saving salmon

The Seattle Times and the Marysville Globe reported on 100 years of hatchery cooperation.

The Seattle Times:

The Tulalip Tribes continued a century-old tradition last week of partnering with state hatcheries for the increased production of Puget Sound salmon.

Since 1907, tribal members have traveled to the Wallace River Hatchery near Gold Bar, working with employees of the state Department of Fish and Wildlife to improve chinook- and coho-salmon numbers in the Snohomish River system.

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Return of the King

The (Everett) Herald has a story about the Tulalip Salmon Ceremony, and notes that the chinook run already has arrived:

This Saturday, Tulalip tribal members will welcome Big Chief King Salmon, the symbolic first salmon of the season, with great pageantry.

Every year, tribal members welcome the salmon – a message to all the fish that they are the honored guests of the season.

And this season, for the first time in years, King Salmon will come from Tulalip Bay.

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