NWIFC News Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission Harvest Holds the Line 6730 Martin Way E

Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission

Summer 2010 NWIFCnwifc.org News

Inside: ■ Stewardship Starts Young ■ Cedar Tree Gift Celebrated ■ Shellfish Toxin Closes Harvest ■ Dive Fisheries Robust ■ Tribes Boost Salmon Runs ■ Fish Barriers Removed Being Frank NWIFC News Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission Harvest Holds the Line 6730 Martin Way E. Olympia, WA 98516 By Billy Frank Jr. (360) 438-1180 NWIFC Chairman NWIFC News is published quarterly. Free Treaty tribal and state co- subscriptions are available. This edition is managers wrapped up their an- also online at nwifc.org. Articles in NWIFC nual process of setting salmon News may be reprinted. fishing seasons this spring and I was again reminded of those NWIFC Chairman who say that a total ban on fish- Billy Frank Jr. ing is the only path to salmon recovery. Executive Director They don’t truly mean a total Mike Grayum ban though – just one on Indi- an and non-Indian fishermen. Information and Education Services They don’t want to talk about all of the fish lost to dams, shrinking. It tells me that we Division Manager poisoned stormwater runoff are holding the line on harvest, Tony Meyer and low stream flows. Those but we are losing the fight on environmental factors impact habitat. We are putting tighter Regional Information Officers salmon just like any fishery. A and tighter controls on how we Debbie Preston, Coast dead fish is a dead fish, no mat- fish, but each year we lose more Emmett O’Connell, South Sound ter how it dies. and more natural productivity Tiffany Royal, Hood Canal/Strait of Juan de Fuca The tribes and state work from the little good habitat we Kari Neumeyer, North Sound to provide limited fishing op- have left. portunities that target healthy, All of the fishing cutbacks, Editorial Assistant mostly hatchery-raised fish. changes in hatchery opera- Sheila McCloud Most wild stocks are too weak tions and habitat restoration to support harvest – there work of the past 20 or 30 years NWIFC Member Tribes: Hoh, would be no fishing at all in can’t begin to make up for the Jamestown S’Klallam, Lower Elwha Klallam, western Washington without centuries that this region’s en- Lummi Nation, Makah, Muckleshoot, the salmon produced by tribal vironment has been assaulted. Nisqually, Nooksack, Port Gamble and state hatcheries. Habitat loss and damage alone S’Klallam, Puyallup, Quileute, Quinault The combined state, tribal are driving the decline of wild Indian Nation, Sauk-Suiattle, Skokomish, and federal hatchery system salmon. We are at the end of an Squaxin Island, Stillaguamish, Suquamish, in western Washington is sci- era and we have no choice but Swinomish, Tulalip and Upper Skagit ence-driven and finely tuned to change if the salmon are go- to produce enough fish for har- ing to survive. Tribal contact information is available vest. Most of these hatcheries The treaty tribes have a high- under Member Tribes at nwifc.org. were built to make up for lost er standard for salmon recovery habitat. Those hatchery fish than the federal Endangered Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/nwifc provide meaningful harvests Species Act. For us, salmon and on Twitter: @NWIFC to many, but they can also hide recovery means restoring all the true health of the habitat in salmon stocks to populations our watersheds. that can support sustainable While the total number of harvest. It’s about our culture, chinook returning to Puget our way of life. It’s about hon- Sound has remained steady oring our treaties. It’s about for the past decade at about continuing to be who we’ve al- 200,000, the percentage of wild ways been: fishermen. On the cover: Harlan James, Lummi fish in that figure has been Nation, returns the remains of a chinook salmon to the water during Lummi Nation’s First Salmon Ceremony. Photo: K. Neumeyer

Makah Tribe Old-Growth Cedar Tree

Is600-year-old Gift cedar to tree Tribal began contributing Culture to the cultural tradi- A tions of the Makah people even before it was cut down in May. Ancient songs filled the air in celebration and gratitude at the site of the 140-foot-tall tree measuring about 8 feet at its base.

Bark was stripped in the traditional manner from the stand- ing tree. Tribal weavers created cedar “roses” from the bark and gave them to those who helped the tribe acquire the tree. It took nearly five years for the Makah to obtain the tree through a partnership with the Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Potlatch Fund, a nonprofit organization aiding tribal communities in the Pacific North- west and Montana. The Potlatch Fund purchased the tree and gifted it to the Makah Tribe, bridging an im- passe between the tribe’s treaty right to gather cultural materi- als within their traditional ter- D. Preston (2) ritory and DNR’s governing Makah forester Stephanie Peterson-Martin, Micah McCarty, Makah tribal councilman, pulls cedar bark legislation that requires the left, Councilman Micah McCarty, inside tree, from a 600-year-old cedar tree donated to the tribe for and Donnie Secor inspect the harvested cultural use. tree to be sold. tree. “While we take the life of this tree today, it will live on rot in the tree, creating a in the future in the lives of our traditional dugout canoe is children and our village,” said ‘This cedar tree will be a welcome questionable. Makah tribal chairman Mi- sight to many of our carvers.’ “We have evolved with chael Lawrence. what’s available and if it is The tree was acquired too Stephanie Peterson-Martin, not possible to make dugout late to provide a canoe for this Acting Forest Manager, canoes, then we can make summer’s Tribal Canoe Jour- Makah Tribe strip canoes with this tree,” ney, which the Makah Tribe Peterson-Martin said. Strip will host. The tree will none- canoes are made by wrapping theless provide raw material and gluing cedar wood strips for many other cultural items harvest on the reservation area that has some bigger cedar around a canoe-shaped form. It such as regalia and carved gifts beginning in the 1920s,” trees for cultural use, but it’s in also may be possible to create that will be given away in July she said. “Trees were not the middle of the reservation a smaller traditional halibut or to the thousands of guests and replanted after the old growth and the only way to get that salmon dugout canoe that holds canoe families. was harvested and the natural wood out is with a helicopter. two or four people. Obtaining cedar of any size regeneration in this area Since that cost has to be paid “Our weavers are excited that on the Makah reservation is produced a landscape that is by the tribal member, it’s fi- they will be able to make bas- difficult, said Stephanie Peter- nearly 80 percent hemlock.” nancially difficult for a lot of kets from the boughs higher up son-Martin, forester and acting The tribe manages its own people,” Peterson-Martin said. on the tree, which they haven’t forest manager for the Makah land today and requires ex- “This cedar tree will be a been able to make for a long Tribal Forestry Department. tensive reforesting of multiple welcome sight to many of our time,” said Micah McCarty, “Historically, there have species, including cedar, but it carvers who have been waiting tribal councilman. always been large volumes of takes many years for a cedar to to get their hands on suitable – D. Preston cedar here, but the Bureau of reach a significant size. material,” she added. Indian Affairs operated timber “We have a forest reserve Due to the amount of heart

Quileute Tribe Welcoming the Whales

D. Preston (4)

Above: Quileute tribal members and guests sing and chant in the whales off La Push Beach. Several gray whales passed by in the surf zone during the annual Welcoming of the Whales ceremony. Above right: Quileute tribal members wearing traditional attire perform the whale ceremony in honor of the tribe and its ancestors.

Right: Tribal member Tah ahawat Payne, 7, feels the chill while watching others in the surf during the welcoming of the whales. Below: Tribal members Bryson King, left, Justin Hatch and Jonah Black offer salmon to the whales.

E. O’Connell (2)

Squaxin Island elder Del Johns Sr. harvests clams at an easily accessible beach in Little Tribal member Nancy Moore gathers shellfish at Skookum Inlet. Little Skookum Inlet.

SharedSquaxin Island tribal Beach elders private Gives shellfish growers Elders and Little Skookum Access Inlet. “We have to sources Shellfish like shellfish,” Whit- have their very own beach treaty tribes. The agreement a great working relationship ener said. “For many of our where they can harvest shell- resolved thorny legal issues with the Taylors; we’ve been elders, this harvesting oppor- fish in Little Skookum Inlet. stemming from a 1994 federal sharing the beaches with them tunity helps make ends meet.” “Most of our other court ruling that upheld the for decades,” Whitener said. It also provides a source of commercial shellfish beaches tribes’ treaty-reserved right to Little Skookum Inlet is the traditional food that is impor- are either accessible only by half of the harvestable shellfish closest bay to the tribe. “Lit- tant to tribes. boat or down a steep cliff,” in intertidal waters. tle Skookum is a very special “We live in one of the most said Andy Whitener, the tribe’s As part of the agreement, place for the Squaxin Island productive shellfish areas in natural resources director. the tribes agreed not to har- Tribe,” Whitener said. “It is the the world, so we’ve always de- “We are working with a local vest naturally occurring shell- backyard for many of our tribal pended on shellfish as a vital shellfish grower to provide our fish on commercially operated members.” part of our culture and econo- elders with a beach that is much shellfish beds in exchange for Nearly one-fourth of the my,” Whitener said. “Working easier to access.” funding to aid them in acquir- 1,000 Squaxin Island tribal with our neighbors not only The arrangement between the ing their own beds. members are active shellfish makes us better managers, but tribe and Taylor Shellfish was In a twist on the agreement, harvesters. also protects our treaty rights.” set up within the framework of Taylor Shellfish agreed to swap “A lot of our tribal members – E. O’Connell a legal settlement between the harvest with the tribe for easily make a good portion of their state and federal governments, accessible tidelands it leases on income harvesting natural re-

Generations

A large basket is found inside a Hoh tribal member’s home in this 1905 photograph taken by Edmond Meany.

The photo is part of the Meany Collection held by the University of Washington.

University of Washington, Special Collections, NA1253 Student Stewards Tribes Teach Environmental Lessons in School High school students plant oysters Port Gamble S’Klallam and it metamorphosizes into the final Suquamish tribal students recent- oyster stage. ly learned how easy it is to grow After examining the larvae, the their own shellfish, just like a gar- students took turns dispersing den. them into a large seawater tank Viviane Barry, a Suquamish filled with empty oyster shells. tribal shellfish biologist, showed The larvae attached to the shells students from the Suquamish- and stayed in the tank for about a based tribal high school how Pa- week, while the students fed them cific oysters are seeded. a concentrated algae solution. “This type of hands-on stuff “I’ve never seen this kind of set- is relevant to what is going on up before for oysters,” said Ricky in their tribes,” said teacher Bob Sullivan, 17. “I’ve planted seeds Kirk. “These students often have for clams but never for oysters.” clam and oyster bakes with their Toward the end of June, stu- families and during ceremonial dents helped spread the oysters on events, but it’s important to under- the beach by the old tribal center stand where the resources come where they will be able to watch from.” the progress. With 500,000 tiny oyster lar- “It’s beneficial to teach students vae donated by Taylor Shellfish, that they can easily grow food Barry placed a few hundred under that the tribe depends on, while a microscope for the high school also learning about shellfish and students to examine. Students saw the importance of water quality,” that the wriggling oyster larvae Barry said. “If they can grow oys- had a foot, which the oyster uses ters themselves, it’s like growing a T. RoyalT. to attach itself to hard objects as garden.” – T. Royal Above: High school student Calina Lawrence, Suquamish, takes a portion of tiny oyster larvae to set on mature oyster shells in the Suquamish Tribe’s saltwater shellfish tanks. Students bring Pilchuck Park to life Below: Students from Presidents Elementary Elementary school students Tribe,” said Shawn Yanity, the School plant native trees at the Stillaguamish Tribe’s Pilchuck Park. were invited to help landscape tribe’s fisheries manager. “It was the Stillaguamish Tribe’s new Pil- one of the oldest native villages in chuck Park this spring, as part of the state of Washington.” their studies in salmon steward- The tribe has restored the habi- ship. tat by building logjams and creat- Franchesca Perez, the tribe’s ing ponds. education and outreach biolo- Earlier in the day, natural re- gist, visited 16 fifth-grade classes sources staff seined one of the throughout the academic year to new ponds and discovered a va- teach them about salmon, habitat, riety of creatures that had moved water quality and other environ- in, including a few yearling coho mental lessons. salmon, red-legged frogs, sala- “Today is your chance to be manders and a variety of bird life. stewards of the land,” Perez told Once Pilchuck Park is complete, a group from Presidents Elemen- it will be open to the public, fea- tary School in Arlington. The stu- turing trails, an observation deck dents planted native species such over the pond and interpretive as black twinberry, western red signs. cedar and alder, and learned to “The tribe is really happy to identify the different plants. bring the public onto tribal land Three years ago, the tribe pur- in this capacity,” Yanity said. chased the land near the creek’s “Working together and engaging confluence with the Stillaguamish the community in a positive way River. helps protect the natural resources “The land near Pilchuck Creek that belong to everyone.” is very sacred to the Stillaguamish – K. Neumeyer

K. Neumeyer Tribal Voice

Makah Tribe: We Must Preserve Living Culture The treaty tribes are find- ing it increasingly difficult to access culturally important natural resources that are part of what defines us as Indian people. Recently, the Makah Tribe was grateful to receive a 600-year-old cedar tree from the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) through a partnership with the Potlatch Patricia Valentine, courtesy of the Trust for Public Land Fund. It took nearly five Micah McCarty Deception Pass Bridge is seen from the shore of Kiket Island, recently years to process our request. acquired by the state Parks and Recreation Commission and Swinomish Tribe. Part of the reason it took so long is that while the tree was situated on lands within the Makah traditional gathering areas outside the reservation, DNR is bound by legislation to receive payment for the tree. To Partnership Creates State allow the project to move forward, the Potlatch Fund purchased the tree and gave it to the Makah Tribe. Park on Swinomish Land Historic poor management of Makah tribal forest- After more than 50 years, eelgrass and a variety of shell- lands by the Bureau of Indian Affairs meant trees Kiket Island has been returned fish, fish and crustaceans. were not replanted. This led to a forest favoring hem- to the Swinomish Tribe, thanks The tidelands around the is- lock rather than diverse native stands that include old- to a partnership between the land will continue to be owned growth cedar. Even though we are now managing our tribe and the state Parks and by the United States in trust for own forestlands and replanting thousands of trees, Recreation Commission. the tribe. Only tribal members there are few older trees available for our cultural The small island in Similk will be able to harvest shellfish needs. Bay is within the boundaries there. As a council, we believe that to keep our living cul- of the Swinomish reservation. “Generations of Swinomish ture strong and vital in perpetuity, we must continue It was allotted to a tribal mem- tribal members haven’t been to work both on our own lands and with other govern- ber in the late 1800s and passed able to harvest shellfish from ments within our traditional harvest areas to sustain- out of tribal ownership in the Kiket Island,” said Lorraine ably manage culturally significant natural resources. 1950s. A nuclear power plant Loomis, fisheries manager for We also need to restore those resources that have been was planned for the site in the the tribe. “This partnership damaged or diminished. We are a place-based people. late 1960s, but concerns about will allow us to practice our Our traditions and language come from the natural the environment and fisher- treaty rights and also share world around us. This is our home and has been since ies won out and the plans were a part of our reservation as a time began. scrapped. state park.” It was a deeply spiritual experience to hear the an- In June, the Swinomish Tribe The newly acquired 84 acres cient songs – not sung for a long time – during the and state Parks and Recreation on Kiket Island, which includes blessing of the cedar tree before it was harvested. The Commission bought Kiket the tiny peninsula Flagstaff Is- upper boughs of this giant will be woven into baskets Island with state and federal land, and 9 acres on Fidalgo that have not been made in years because branches grants, and private donations. Island will be jointly managed from old-growth cedar are rarely available to tribal The state and tribe have a by the tribe and state and will weavers. joint interest in preserving the be part of Deception Pass State Moments like this allow us to come together and island’s old-growth forest and Park. – K. Neumeyer bring our shared knowledge that has been passed intact shoreline inhabited by down to each of us. We learn more about who we are and where we come from and we become better teach- ers for our children. Micah McCarty is a Makah tribal councilman.

Deadly Toxin Found in Shellfish Recent lethal levels of a biotoxin in Cali- bloom of Alexandrium and resulting PSP lev- fornia mussels from the Olympic Coast high- els,” Schumacker said. lighted an emerging trend. Shellfish harvest “We increase sampling of mussels and ra- closures due to the risk of paralytic shell- zor clams when we see California mussels fish poisoning (PSP), historically low on the with high levels of the biotoxin,” said Jerry coast, may become more frequent because of Borchert, of the Office of Shellfish and Water a change in microscopic plants in the ocean. Protection in the Washington State Depart- As a participant in the Olympic Region ment of Health. Harmful Algal Bloom (ORHAB) partnership, Eighty micrograms of toxin per 100 grams Quinault Indian Nation (QIN) collects and of tissue is the limit for human health. Mus- analyzes seawater samples. For many years, sels sampled June 1 by the Quileute Tribe K. Neumeyer the main concern for QIN has been levels near Second Beach showed levels as high as Robert Skoog, Tulalip natural resources specialist, of the plankton species pseudo-nitzschia. It 3,601 micrograms per 100 grams of tissue. prepares a gel for an electrophoresis genetic test. causes the production of the biotoxin domoic Samples collected June 7 by the Makah Tribe acid in shellfish such as razor clams and registered nearly 2,000 micrograms at two Dungeness crab. beach sites. Prior to this year, the highest re- Tulalip Fish Lab “Pseudo-nitzschia is a diatom. Diatoms corded level on the coast was 832 in 1997. were the dominant type of plankton in the “At those higher levels, a person could waters off QIN’s coast up until about two die after just a couple of bites,” Schumacker AddsThe Tulalip GeneticTribes Natural Resources Tests Depart- years ago,” said Joe Schumacker, QIN marine said. ment is taking its fisheries stock assessment lab scientist. The balance has shifted to different Hoh, Makah, Quileute and Quinault Indian to the next level. species of plankton, such as the PSP-causing Nation all harvest mussels as part of their tra- The tribe has acquired genetic testing equip- Alexandrium catenella. ditional diet. ment so that lab technicians can determine on- “It’s a dinoflagellate that used to be rela- “For Quinault, it will be an ongoing health site whether a chum salmon originated from the tively rare in our coastal water, but for the issue as well as a cultural issue when it af- tribal hatchery. first time in modern memory, we had to close fects the harvest of these important species,” Tulalip has genetically marked its chum salm- razor clam harvest last year because of a large Schumacker added. – D. Preston on since the 1990s, but didn’t have the ability to test for the markers. Samples had to be sent to Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) or National Oceanic and Atmospheric Quinault Harmful Algal Bloom Specialist Honored Administration (NOAA) labs for protein elec- Jonnette Bastian-James wasn’t expecting a harmful algal bloom is likely. She also gath- trophoresis. However, with advances in DNA any recognition for her work as a harmful al- ers samples of clams for toxin analysis. technology, those agencies have started using gal bloom specialist for the past five years, “Jonnette takes a lot of pride in her work different genetic tests that do not test for the walking day and night into the pounding and we’re really happy for her,” said Joe unique protein markers in Tulalip chum. ocean surf to gather water samples that help Schumacker, marine scientist for QIN. “She WDFW and NOAA donated equipment that protect human health. goes out in horrible weather and makes sure was no longer in use, and now the Tulalip lab is The Quinault Indian Nation (QIN) tribal she gets the samples.” one of the only facilities on the West Coast using member was still in a bit of a daze after learn- By analyzing her water samples, Bastian- electrophoresis for genetic stock detection. ing that she would receive a National Oceanic James can give the alert when certain kinds “NOAA and WDFW really helped us get this and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of microscopic plants are on the rise, which going,” said Mike Crewson, salmon enhance- Excellence in Promoting Diversity in Coastal can mean razor clams are developing more ment scientist for the tribe. and Ocean Resource Management Award. marine toxin in their tissue than is safe for “One of the first things we will do is take The honor, conferred at a June ceremony in humans to eat. duplicate tissues from the same set of 144 fish Washington, D.C., is one of only six distrib- QIN is one of several coastal tribes that and analyze them to see if DNA can be used to uted by NOAA each year to honor people participate in ORHAB, a partnership formed test for Tulalip chum,” he added. “Since every- and organizations for outstanding contribu- in June 1999 by local residents and coastal one else has converted from electrophoresis to tions in helping the country maintain healthy communities in response to shellfish harvest DNA, without a new stock assessment tool, we coastal and ocean resources. closures due to outbreaks of marine biotoxins could lose the ability to detect our chum when- “I’m just doing what it takes to protect my such as paralytic shellfish poison (PSP). The ever DNA is being analyzed.” people and the non-tribal community from ongoing research efforts have been funded by The result could be the development of a new D. Preston becoming ill from toxic shellfish,” Bastian- NOAA and participating partners since the Quinault Indian Nation tribal member stock assessment tool to detect Tulalip chum Jonnette Bastian-James, harmful algal James said. While QIN has had a seawater summer of 2000. with DNA, but the tribe will continue to use bloom specialist, prepares a seawater sampling program for many years, Bastian- “I’m honored to do this work and I appreci- electrophoresis for routine testing because it is sample for viewing under a micro- James took the Olympic Region Harmful ate that the QIN council believes in this pro- less expensive than DNA testing. scope. Algal Bloom (ORHAB) partnership training gram and supports it,” Bastian-James said. – K. Neumeyer that certified her to identify and quantify mi- – D. Preston croscopic plant life that help indicate whether Deadly Toxin Found in Shellfish Recent lethal levels of a biotoxin in Cali- bloom of Alexandrium and resulting PSP lev- fornia mussels from the Olympic Coast high- els,” Schumacker said. lighted an emerging trend. Shellfish harvest “We increase sampling of mussels and ra- closures due to the risk of paralytic shell- zor clams when we see California mussels fish poisoning (PSP), historically low on the with high levels of the biotoxin,” said Jerry coast, may become more frequent because of Borchert, of the Office of Shellfish and Water a change in microscopic plants in the ocean. Protection in the Washington State Depart- As a participant in the Olympic Region ment of Health. Harmful Algal Bloom (ORHAB) partnership, Eighty micrograms of toxin per 100 grams D. Preston Quinault Indian Nation (QIN) collects and of tissue is the limit for human health. Mus- Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning analyzes seawater samples. For many years, sels sampled June 1 by the Quileute Tribe the main concern for QIN has been levels near Second Beach showed levels as high as ● Early symptoms of PSP are a of the plankton species pseudo-nitzschia. It 3,601 micrograms per 100 grams of tissue. tingling of the lips and tongue. causes the production of the biotoxin domoic Samples collected June 7 by the Makah Tribe ● Tingling can appear within minutes acid in shellfish such as razor clams and registered nearly 2,000 micrograms at two of eating poisonous shellfish Dungeness crab. beach sites. Prior to this year, the highest re- or may take an hour or two to “Pseudo-nitzschia is a diatom. Diatoms corded level on the coast was 832 in 1997. develop. were the dominant type of plankton in the “At those higher levels, a person could ● Depending on the amount of waters off QIN’s coast up until about two die after just a couple of bites,” Schumacker toxin a person has consumed, years ago,” said Joe Schumacker, QIN marine said. symptoms may progress to tingling scientist. The balance has shifted to different Hoh, Makah, Quileute and Quinault Indian of fingers and toes and then loss species of plankton, such as the PSP-causing Nation all harvest mussels as part of their tra- of control of arms and legs.

Alexandrium catenella. ditional diet. ● Difficulty breathing follows, and D. Preston “It’s a dinoflagellate that used to be rela- “For Quinault, it will be an ongoing health death can occur in minutes. Quinault Indian Nation fisherman Chester Frank uses streamer lines to tively rare in our coastal water, but for the issue as well as a cultural issue when it af- ● Mussels, cockles, clams, scallops, keep birds off his longline bait. first time in modern memory, we had to close fects the harvest of these important species,” oysters, crabs and lobsters all have razor clam harvest last year because of a large Schumacker added. – D. Preston been known to carry PSP.

NewQuinault Indian Gear Nation (QIN) Deters “A fisherman Birds who attended tribal fishermen are among the started using the gear and told Quinault Harmful Algal Bloom Specialist Honored first in Washington to use new everyone how well it worked,” Jonnette Bastian-James wasn’t expecting a harmful algal bloom is likely. She also gath- gear that keeps birds away from he added. “Now, most Quinault any recognition for her work as a harmful al- ers samples of clams for toxin analysis. baited longline hooks, protect- fishermen are using it.” gal bloom specialist for the past five years, “Jonnette takes a lot of pride in her work ing the birds and improving the Frank said there is a short walking day and night into the pounding and we’re really happy for her,” said Joe fishermen’s bottom line. learning curve on how best to ocean surf to gather water samples that help Schumacker, marine scientist for QIN. “She A line strung with evenly deploy the line, but it’s a simple protect human health. goes out in horrible weather and makes sure spaced, brightly colored tub- method to keep birds off his bait. The Quinault Indian Nation (QIN) tribal she gets the samples.” ing is deployed above the baited “It was a little bit of a hassle at member was still in a bit of a daze after learn- By analyzing her water samples, Bastian- longline gear as it enters the wa- first, but now I wouldn’t leave the ing that she would receive a National Oceanic James can give the alert when certain kinds ter. The tubing prevents sea birds dock without it,” said Frank, who and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of microscopic plants are on the rise, which from taking the bait or becoming has been fishing for 15 years. Excellence in Promoting Diversity in Coastal can mean razor clams are developing more entangled in the longline gear. The streamers may become and Ocean Resource Management Award. marine toxin in their tissue than is safe for The gear is not mandatory on mandatory in the future because The honor, conferred at a June ceremony in humans to eat. the West Coast except in Alaska the black-footed albatross, a bird Washington, D.C., is one of only six distrib- QIN is one of several coastal tribes that where the short-tailed albatross is encountered by California, Or- uted by NOAA each year to honor people participate in ORHAB, a partnership formed listed as an endangered species. egon and Washington fishermen, and organizations for outstanding contribu- in June 1999 by local residents and coastal “Bottom line, the gear works is being considered for listing tions in helping the country maintain healthy communities in response to shellfish harvest and keeps more bait on the hooks, under the federal Endangered coastal and ocean resources. closures due to outbreaks of marine biotoxins and that means more fish coming Species Act. “I’m just doing what it takes to protect my such as paralytic shellfish poison (PSP). The into the boat,” said QIN fisher- “The effectiveness of the gear people and the non-tribal community from ongoing research efforts have been funded by man Chester Frank. has been shown to last,” said becoming ill from toxic shellfish,” Bastian- NOAA and participating partners since the Washington Sea Grant provid- Troy Guy, marine fisheries re- James said. While QIN has had a seawater summer of 2000. ed the gear to fishermen for free. search associate for Sea Grant. sampling program for many years, Bastian- “I’m honored to do this work and I appreci- “We had a demonstration of “The birds don’t figure out a way James took the Olympic Region Harmful ate that the QIN council believes in this pro- how the gear worked last year,” around it. It’s great to hear the Algal Bloom (ORHAB) partnership training gram and supports it,” Bastian-James said. said Scott Mazzone, marine fish gear is being used successfully.” that certified her to identify and quantify mi- – D. Preston and shellfish biologist for QIN. – D. Preston croscopic plant life that help indicate whether Puyallup Tribe of indians

BringingFor more than a decade, Back the Puyallup the“After Chinookthree or so years in the ocean, a Tribe of Indians has been trying to jump- portion of these fish will come back to the start natural salmon production in the up- upper watershed and spawn,” said Blake per Puyallup watershed. Smith, the tribe’s enhancement biologist. The tribe is raising 200,000 juvenile For almost 100 years, a low-lying dam chinook this year in an earthen rearing prevented chinook and other salmon from pond on Rushingwater Creek, a tributary accessing the last 30 miles of habitat in to the Puyallup River as it flows through the watershed. But when a fish ladder was the foothills of Mount Rainier. The tribe built around the dam, the tribe started tak- will place young chinook in the pond until ing steps to boost natural salmon produc- they are acclimated to the creek, and then tion in the upper watershed. release them. In addition to releasing juvenile fish, the tribe takes surplus adult chinook and coho salmon from a state hatchery in the watershed and releases them in upper river tributaries. “The majority of the fish find each other and spawn. Every little bit we can do con- tributes to a robust run up here,” Smith said. “The state’s salmon hatchery in this Rebecca Murdoc, fisheries technician, fills an part of the watershed was damaged in a automatic fish feeder in an upper watershed flood, so they’re producing fewer chinook pond. than they used to.” “The great habitat in the upper watershed Compared to the rest of the watershed, means it shouldn’t take long for salmon to which has been significantly harmed by re-establish themselves,” Smith said. “One development, the upper watershed’s salm- of the key elements to strong salmon runs on spawning and rearing habitat is rela- is healthy habitat.” – E. O’Connell tively undisturbed. Dan Sandstrom, fisheries technician for the Puyallup Tribe, cleans the screen at a chinook acclimation pond in the upper Puyallup River E. O’Connell (2) watershed. Radio Tags Help Track Steelhead Population Levels The Puyallup Tribe of Indians is tracking steelhead fitted with radio tags to learn more about a recovering stock. “We want to keep a close eye on where these fish migrate and spawn,” said Russ Ladley, the tribe’s resource protection manager. The small population of steelhead in the Puyallup watershed, listed as “threatened” under the federal Endangered Species Act, is difficult to track because the fish don’t migrate in large numbers like salmon. Steelhead also don’t always die after spawning like salmon, but can make multiple annual migrations between the ocean and river. So far this year, about 300 steelhead from a genetic broodstock program have returned, almost twice as many as the amount of wild fish. For four years, the Muckleshoot and Puyallup tribes and the state Department of Fish and Wildlife have spawned about E. O’Connell 20 wild steelhead taken each year from an adult trap on the White Blake Smith, enhancement biologist for the Puyallup Tribe of Indians, River. Their offspring are raised in tribal hatcheries and eventu- tracks a migrating adult steelhead near the White River. ally released into the White River. Half of the tagged steelhead will be the offspring of the steel- For the next few months, tribal staff will attach small radio tags head broodstock, the other half will be wild steelhead. to about 40 adult steelhead caught at the Buckley Diversion Dam “Seeing a high return of broodstock fish is encouraging because fish trap on the White River, a tributary to the Puyallup. Tribal the program goal is to put more adults on the spawning grounds,” staff will use radio telemetry to track the fish. said Blake Smith, the tribe’s enhancement biologist. “Even though “With the data we collect during our surveys, we can find what we’re seeing encouraging returns from our broodstock fish, the parts of the river they use to rest during their migration and where overall population is still perilously small.” important spawning areas are,” Ladley said. – E. O’Connell 10 Nisqually Tribe Salmon Watchers on Lookout for Steelhead The Nisqually Indian Tribe is using a network of volunteers and expanded surveys to gather more information about a greatly diminished wild steelhead run in the Nisqually River. Several participants in the tribe’s Salmon Watchers program are staking out small creeks throughout the watershed to keep an eye out for steelhead. Salmon watchers typically work throughout the fall and winter to watch for more plentiful chinook, fall coho and chum salmon. “This year, we’re asking them to stay out longer to watch for steelhead,” said David Troutt, the tribe’s natural resources director. E. O’Connell In addition to the volunteers, the tribe is expanding its Emiliano Perez, natural resources technician for the Nisqually Tribe, handles a fyke net in a slough of the Nisqually River estuary. own surveys beyond the mainstem of the Nisqually River to other small creeks and side channels. “We’ve been surveying the mainstem by boat and helicopter for years, now we’re trying to get the true geo- graphic scope of these fish,” Troutt said. “We’ve doubled Ear Bones Reveal the amount of walking surveys we’re doing, so we’re going to get a better idea of the number of steelhead in the Salmon’s Life History watershed.” Tiny structures in salmon chinook populations in the The Nisqually Tribe’s Salmon Watchers program has ears are telling the Nisqually Nisqually watershed,” Troutt grown in the last five years. Indian Tribe how salmon are said. “This is a very direct way I can help restore these benefiting from restoration of “We typically find two fish,” said Deena Johnson, a volunteer who watches the Nisqually River estuary. groups of juvenile chinook Muck Creek, a tributary to the Nisqually, several times a Salmon otoliths are bone-like leaving the watershed,” Troutt week. “This is such a great way to get involved in salmon structures in the inner ear that said. The earlier, smaller group recovery.” record important life events of of chinook doesn’t stay in the Salmon watchers are trained to identify salmon at ses- salmon almost the same way estuary very long. Instead, they sions offered by the Nisqually Tribe, which include a trip rings tell the life story of a tree. leave quickly and probably rear to the tribe’s two hatcheries. Volunteers are expected to For example, when a salmon in small pocket estuaries at the watch their assigned stream section for at least 15 min- moves into salt water and starts mouths of small creeks feed- utes each time, even if they don’t spot any fish. A count to grow faster, the otolith re- ing into Puget Sound. A larger of zero fish can still provide important information about flects that growth. group of fish spends at least a salmon habitat health and accessibility for salmon. “If you take a look at the few weeks in the estuary, feed- “Salmon watchers give us a heads up when something, otolith, you can tell a lot about ing and growing before head- like a malfunctioning culvert, needs attention,” Troutt a salmon,” said David Troutt, ing out to sea. said. “We take the information collected by the watchers the tribe’s natural resources di- “When the adult salmon re- seriously.” – E. O’Connell rector. “You can see when they turned a few years later, we ate their first bug, when they found exclusively the group entered the estuary, and when that reared in the estuary,” Deena Johnson, a volunteer with the Nisqually Tribe’s Stream they left for the open ocean.” Troutt said. Watchers program, watches Muck Creek for adult steelhead. The tribe has been collect- “The fish that stayed and fed ing the otoliths for five years in the estuary survived while since it began removing dikes those with other life history around former pastures near strategies did not,” he said. the mouth of the Nisqually “This speaks to the importance River. Together with the 140 of the big river estuaries but acres of estuary restored by the also the need to restore pocket tribe, the Nisqually National estuaries and other nearshore Wildlife Refuge opened more habitat if we are to successfully than 700 more acres of estuary recover wild chinook in Puget last fall. Sound.” – E. O’Connell “We’re seeing pretty clearly that the estuary is the key to

11 E. O’Connell Tiny Pink Salmon Get Clipped The Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe “The late run of Dungeness pink and Washington Department of Fish salmon limits its use of the river to and Wildlife are working together to the very lower reaches and is in need boost pink salmon populations in the of a boost,” said Scott Chitwood, the Dungeness River watershed near Se- tribe’s natural resources director. quim. The supplementation program “This area has poor habitat and the is now in its second year. salmon that spawn in the lower river don’t do well there.” Much of the problem is caused by dikes that constrain the river’s tendency to move around within its floodplain. Dikes increase the veloc- ity of the river, causing the gravel to scour, which destroys salmon eggs A pink fry has its adipose fin removed. located in shallow nests. Pink salmon from the lower supplemented late-timed pink salm- Dungeness River were collected and on spawning in the lower Dungeness spawned last fall at the state’s Hurd River. Creek Hatchery. This spring, 120,000 “Our goal is to create a better bal- of those progeny were reared and re- ance between the highly sustainable leased into the lower river. These early run of pink salmon that spawn “supplemental” fish were identified throughout the watershed and this by having their adipose fins clipped less-productive late run that spawns before being released. When the fish in the lower river only,” Chitwood return as adults in two years, the co- said. – T. Royal managers will assess the relative pro- portions of naturally produced and T. RoyalT. (2) Natural resources volunteer Denise LaCross clips the adipose fin of a pink salmon.

Revegetation Important in Elwha Dam Removal While the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe The tribe also has planted more than has been working diligently to protect 20,000 native conifers and deciduous trees, salmon and their habitat in the Elwha River including Douglas fir, western red cedar, watershed, there’s another part of prepping grand fir, red alder, black cottonwood, big the area for the 2011 removal of the river’s leaf maple and Sitka willow. two fish-blocking dams that is just as im- In addition to the valley, the tribe’s re- portant: controlling invasive plants. vegetation efforts have focused around “These plants quickly spread, prevent- manmade lakes Aldwell and Mills. The ing native plants from thriving,” said Mike biggest concern is what the reservoirs are McHenry, the tribe’s habitat manager. “It’s going to leave behind after they are drained bad for the existing river habitat and if it’s following dam removal. not taken care of, there could be bigger “Everything that drains into those res- problems after dam removal.” ervoirs right now might carry invasive For the past five years, the tribe’s reveg- seeds,” McHenry said. “Taking care of the etation crew has been working throughout plants surrounding the dams now will help the river valley, identifying and removing prevent their further spread.” invasive plants, such as Scotch broom, McHenry also is working with the Olym- knotweed, canary grass and sweet peas. pic National Park on a revegetation plan for “This spring alone we’ve treated 10 the reservoirs after they are drained. acres of Scotch broom with herbicide,” – T. Royal said Floyd Cooke, the crew’s field supervi- sor. “But that’s just barely scratching the surface.” T. Royal Lower Elwha revegetation crew member Wilson Wells cuts back a grassy area near the Elwha River. 12 Sea Cucumber Harvest Robust It’s been a good season for tribal dive fishermen. This year, tribes reached the harvest goal of more than 300,000 pounds of sea cucumbers in the San Juan Islands for the first time since a 1995 court ruling that upheld their treaty shellfish harvest rights. For the Lummi Nation, the sea cucumber harvest provides some relief from the impact of having salmon fisheries closed A sea cucumber has its viscera removed before because of declining runs. it is sold to a seafood buyer. The Lummi Nation’s schelangen, or “way of life,” has always centered around This year, the tribes thought they might the natural resources of the sea. The har- have to close the fishery early because of vest of fish, shellfish and other ocean- strong markets and an increased number dwelling creatures not only is an important of divers. The harvest limit had been set part of tribal members’ income, but also artificially low in recent agreements as a their culture. precaution, in the absence of specific in- “Crab, prawn and salmon seasons are formation on sustainable harvest levels. short, so dive fisheries are a more stable “We do need to safeguard the population, source of income for Lummi tribal mem- but there’s not a lot of knowledge about bers,” said Cliff Cultee, a fisherman, tribal how sea cucumbers age or repopulate,” councilman and member of the Lummi said Elden Hillaire, chairman of the Lum- Fisheries Commission. mi Fisheries Commission. “We’ve been It has taken some time for Lummi to de- giving back to the resource by not harvest- velop the skills and obtain the equipment ing our entire quota all these years.” to participate fully in the dive fisheries. The Lummi Nation has more than 500 Sea cucumbers harvested by tribal mem- fishermen, and 18 of those are registered K. Neumeyer (2) bers are predominantly exported to Asia, dive fishermen. Lummi fisherman Cliff Cultee cleans sea where they are a delicacy. Known as “na- “Our whole fleet is diversified into a cucumbers. The tribe had a record sea mako” in Japan, sea cucumbers are related lot of different fisheries,” Hillaire said. cucumber dive fishery this year. to starfish and sea urchins, and occupy a “We’ve seen crab fishermen try out dive niche in the Japanese culture. fisheries and stick with it.” – K. Neumeyer

Commission Re-elects Officers At the annual election in May, NWIFC Chairman Billy Frank Jr., left, was re- elected to continue in his long-time role as chairman of the Board of Commissioners. Frank, a Nisqually tribal member, was elected to another three-year term.

The board also re-elected Swinomish fisheries manager Lorraine Loomis as vice chair and Quinault Indian Nation policy representative Ed Johnstone as treasurer. Both officers hold one-year terms.

13 Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe

AmphibianIn the springtime, frogs and salamanders Habitat pattern of mutationsMonitored or changes to amphib- busily lay eggs in a 5-acre wetland behind ian populations that indicate increased pol- tribal members’ homes on the Sauk-Suiattle lution or effects of climate change. reservation near Darrington. The most common species in the wetland Tribal natural resources staffers have are Pacific tree frogs, red-legged frogs and been monitoring the hundreds of egg clus- northwestern salamanders. Surveyors also ters, along with the live amphibians they have seen eggs of long-toed salamanders find in the wetland, between February and and a few western toads. May for the past four years. Each week, the survey team marks the Because amphibians are thin-skinned locations of new egg masses and checks and sensitive to disturbances in their habi- the status of the older ones, noting larvae tat, they are good indicators of wetland that have grown tails and those that have health. The tribe’s survey could reveal a floated to the surface or hatched. Last year, the team found and flagged 1,500 egg clusters. “It was a two-day event to monitor them last year,” said Kevin Lenon, natural re- Sauk-Suiattle natural resources technician Kevin Lenon examines a northwestern sala- sources technician. mander egg mass in a wetland on the tribe’s “We bit off more frogs than we could reservation. chew,” joked Scott Morris, watershed manager for the tribe. waiting to be counted. About a month into the survey this year, The Sauk-Suiattle reservation, at the Morris and Lenon, along with natural re- foothills of the Cascade Mountains, is far sources technicians Eugene Edwards and from the large cities where water quality Michael Wolten, had flagged about 350 has been degraded. The amphibian survey egg masses. is one way to make sure the wetland re- “It can be kind of peaceful out here,” Le- mains uncontaminated. non said. “Last week, the Pacifics in that “If anything, this survey will show that K. Neumeyer (2) pond were making all kinds of noise.” we have a healthy wetland,” Morris said. A Pacific chorus frog is counted during an A quick check of the pond confirmed – K. Neumeyer amphibian survey. what he expected – many new egg masses

Culvert Removal Restores Fish Passage to Creek The Skagit River System Cooperative (SRSC) removed The culvert removal was part of a three-year project in an 80-foot-long, 8-foot-tall and 12-foot-wide culvert from partnership with the Forest Service to upgrade and de- Tenas Creek, a tributary to the Suiattle River. commission approximately 18 miles of forest roads in the The culvert had provided vehicle access across the Suiattle River basin. The primary goal of the project is creek on a U.S. Forest Service road, but it was a barrier to to improve habitat for spring chinook and other species resident fish species and was at risk of failing and send- by reducing landslides and other sediment impacts from ing sediment downstream to salmon habitat. poorly maintained forest roads. – K. Neumeyer “The culvert didn’t contain streambed material and had a 3- to 4-foot outfall drop, so it likely prevented upstream passage for resident fish species,” said Devin Smith, restoration ecologist for the SRSC. The SRSC is the natural resources arm of the Sauk-Suiattle and Swin- omish tribes. Tenas Creek is a productive tributary that is used by a number of fish species, including chinook, pink and coho salmon, native char and steelhead. Spring chinook populations have especially low numbers and are a high prior- ity for recovery efforts. The glacial-fed Suiattle River has very high sediment loads naturally, so its population of spring chinook depends on cool, clear tributary streams like Tenas Creek for spawning and rearing.

Courtesy of Nora Kammer, SRSC SRSC crew members remove a large, yet inadequate, culvert from Tenas Creek. 14 Squaxin Island Tribe

MassiveHabitat to be restored,Restoration stream flow protected Effort on Goldsborough Planned Creek

The Squaxin Island Tribe will use a nearly $1 mil- lion federal grant to restore Goldsborough Creek, one of the largest and most important salmon streams in deep South Sound. “This grant gives us the ability to address the health of Goldsborough Creek on several fronts,” said John Konovsky, the tribe’s environmental program manager. The grant will fund a project with three goals: restoring and protecting habitat in the creek, protecting stream flows, and restoring habitat in the creek’s estuary while preserving a working port. “We want to balance the health of the watershed and bring salmon back to strong levels, while also sus- taining the strength of the local economy,” said Andy Whitener, natural resources director for the tribe. Goldsborough Creek was the site of a 34-foot-high dam that was removed almost 10 years ago, opening 25 miles of salmon habitat. Since then, the tribe has tracked an increase in juvenile coho production de- spite an overall decline in wild coho populations in the region. “There is great potential in Goldsborough to protect and restore habitat, and increase coho populations

even more,” Konovsky said. “Because they spend E. O’Connell more than a year in fresh water before out-migrating, coho are especially vulnerable to changes in freshwa- Joe Peters and Sarah Haque, biologists with the Squaxin Island Tribe, count and measure migrating juvenile salmon ter habitat.” near the mouth of Goldsborough Creek. The project will focus on restoring and protecting habitat in the creek around the former dam site. The constructing logjams and reconnecting the creek to first step will be for Capitol Land Trust to complete the several wetlands, which will provide additional habi- purchase of a stretch of the creek that already contains tat for juvenile and adult fish, and help control fine good salmon habitat. Habitat work also will include sediment in the creek.. – E. O’Connell

OldSalmon will Farm benefit from newlyto createdbe Restoredquicker and lets microorganisms as Forest thrive. for Fish soft ground along Little Skookum Creek. “Plants will have a much easier time The Squaxin Island Tribe used heavy once the soil is restored,” Haque said. Af- equipment to “rip” former farmland along ter the ripping process, the tribe also will the creek to promote natural recruitment plant a few thousand shrubs and trees to of trees and shrubs. jump-start the streamside forest. “After being used first as a farm and The restored forest will complement then a ranch, the soil around the creek is more than a dozen logjams that the tribe al- extremely compact,” said Sarah Haque, ready has built in Little Skookum Creek. habitat biologist for the Squaxin Island “Logjams are important for salmon be- Tribe. cause they give them a place to feed and The tribe has been restoring reaches of rest,” Haque said. “Normally, logjams are the creek since 2005, adding wood struc- naturally occurring, but we built new ones tures to the creek and replanting a historic because many of the trees had been cut streamside forest. down along the creek and existing logjams Ripping will create healthier soil be- were removed.” – E. O’Connell E. O’Connell cause it aerates, allows water to seep in The Squaxin Island Tribe used an innovative “ripping” technique to ensure a recent habitat project was successful.

15 Walking On

Ed Claplanhoo graduate. He worked to recognize and help military veterans. He served in the U.S. Army after college and Edward Eugene Claplanhoo, a revered Makah elder, was stationed at Fort Worden in Port Townsend and veteran and former tribal chairman, died March 14. Fort Lewis near Tacoma. He donated land for the Fort Claplanhoo served three terms as the Makah tribal Nunez Gaona-Diah Veterans Park. chairman in the 1970s when the archeological dig of In addition to his wife, Claplanhoo is survived by Ozette started. He helped establish the Makah Cul- daughter Karen (Jack) Werkau of Lake Tapps; son tural and Research Center. Vern (Marla) Tolliver of Neah Bay; five grandchildren Since the 1960s, Claplanhoo was the emcee of the and eight great-grandchildren. annual Makah Days festival. He was a graduate of He was preceded in death by his parents, grandson Washington State University and named an honored Ronnie Scroggins and an infant child.

Harry B. Cooper Jr. family, nieces and nephews, and his beloved dog Princess. He also enjoyed dancing, making people Nooksack tribal leader and former NWIFC com- smile and laugh, watching NASCAR and fishing. missioner Harry B. Cooper Jr. passed away March 26. He is survived by his mother LaVerne Cooper; Cooper was born May 7, 1953 in Forks. brothers Kim and Bryson Cooper; sons John and Alex Cooper was a proud Nooksack tribal member who Cooper; stepdaughter Brandy Cline; and many nieces dedicated many years of work to the tribe as Nook- and nephews. sack tribal chairman, police officer, tribal fisheries He was preceded in death by his father Harry (Spud) director and Nooksack Tribal Works laborer. Cooper Sr.; and sisters Cathy Cooper, Lorraine (Coo- He enjoyed spending time with his friends and per) Babcock and Tina (Cooper) Wolfe.

Vernon Lane He also was a commercial fisherman and a journey- man carpenter. Former Lummi Nation chairman Vernon A. Lane He is survived by his wife, Nancy; daughters La- Sr. passed away April 21. verne, Marcy, Vernell and Doreen Lane, and Christine He was born June 13, 1930 and grew up with eight Julius; sons Vernon Jr., Galen, William, Patrick, Fred- brothers and sisters on the Lummi reservation’s Por- die and Michael Lane; and numerous grandchildren, tage Island. He married Nancy A. (Solomon) Lane and great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews. raised 12 children. Lane was preceded in death by his parents, Arthur Lane served 35 years on the Lummi Indian Busi- Sr. and Christine (Placid) Lane; brothers Virgil and ness Council, with 12 years as tribal chairman. He Arthur Jr.; sisters Violet Hillaire, Viola Robideau and influenced the landmark Boldt decision of 1974, and Gladys Cultee; and daughter Joanne M. Lane. helped create the Lummi aquaculture project. 16