Squaxin Island Tribe's Natural Resources

Preseason planning of 2010 Washington State commercial and recreational salmon fisheries is underway.   The process known as North of Falcon is a series of meetings where representatives from Tribal, State,  NOAA Fisheries,  Fishing Industry and general public work together in developing the fisheries for the year.  Over the next two months Andy Whitener and Joseph [...]

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From the press release:
The Squaxin Island Tribe is appealing to Gov. Chris Gregoire the decision by the state Department of Ecology to reject a petition to protect Johns Creek. ”Ecology’s inaction does further harm to our treaty-based fisheries,” said Andy Whitener, natural resources director for the Tribe. “Salmon recovery should not have to bear a [...]

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A news release this afternoon:
The Squaxin Island Tribe has filed a second petition with the state Department of Ecology (DOE) to stop all new water withdrawals, including permit-exempt wells, in the Johns Creek watershed near Shelton. The action was taken to protect several runs of salmon that spawn and rear in the creek.
“There isn’t enough [...]

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Spawned out Kennedy Creek chum- November 4th

Thousands of chum salmon have started to make their journey up Kennedy Creek to spawn.  The past weeks small rain events have push this fish out of the estuary in to the spawning grounds.    It’s great to see the chum are here.
Squaxin Island Tribe treaty fisheries do target chum [...]

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It’s that time of year again when Squaxin NR staff puts on the chest wadders and walk  a number of streams in the the South Puget Sound area counting the returning Chum and Coho salmon.    We are  in the streams 3 to 4 days out of the week count chum and hopefully finding some Coho [...]

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This year the Squaxin Island Tribe closed the  Arcadia Pt. area in Pickering Passage during  its Treaty coho fishery to protect wild chum salmon.   The area is well know by Tribal fishermen as a great place to intercept chum salmon as they begin to return to Totten and Hammersley Inlet streams.
In 2008 an unusually high [...]

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Video of  Squaxin Island Tribe Fish Techs Danny Snyder and Bear Lewis sampling the Tribes coho commercial fishery.
Commercial sampling video
Video recorded and provided by Emmett O’Connell, South Sound Information and Education Officer, NWIFC.

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From Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission Website:
Anderson Good Choice to lead WDFW
The treaty tribes of western Washington look forward to continuing to work with Phil Anderson as director of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).
Anderson was named the department’s permanent director Saturday by the nine-member commission….(read more at NWIFC website).

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Shelton Mason County Journal Video Slide Show
The First Salmon – As  told by Cecil Cheeka
Once there was a little boy, and he loved salmon. He played with salmon and he swam with salmon. Finally the salmon people decided to take him home with them. He wanted to go, so they took him to the land [...]

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The Squaxin Island Tribe has partnered with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife to place coho salmon in Gosnell Creek, a tributary in upper Mill Creek. A total of 10,000 fish were planted in two locations known to have water cool enough for salmon to thrive throughout the summer.

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