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JohnPlatt's comments:
on Maya Lin and the Confluence Project
The inundation of Celilo Falls, to be memorialized by Maya Lin in the Confluence Project, recalls an injustice to both humans and animals that provides a lesson to the nations and people of the world. Former Oregon Senator Richard Neuberger, in a 1941 article in the Saturday Evening Post, noted that a "number of wildlife experts hope to forbid Indians from spearing and netting the homeward-bound salmon at Celilo Falls." He wrote, "if we take even this from the country's original owners, what are we accusing Hitler of anyway?"
posted 2 years, 6 months ago
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on Primary Election 2010
The races for Washington County Commissioners and the race for Metro Council President will provide a unique view on the status of agricultural lands policy in Oregon for the next decade. The races pitting Malinowski vs. Niehauser, Mecklum vs. Terry and Stacy vs. Hughes will decide whether the metro area goes the route of sprawl or compact urban development with protection of rural open space and agriculture.
posted 3 years ago
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on Fishing for Answers
At the tribes' urging, Rep. John Breaux (D-LA) and John Forsythe (R-NJ) included report language in, as I recall, the FY 1982 authorization directing that Mitchell Act appropriations be used to assist naturally-spawning runs which the Act was not doing at the time. Also at the tribes' urging, Senator Hatfield included similar provisions in the appropriations acts. For the most part, lip service was paid to the tribes' recommendations, except in the Federal District Court and the Northwest Power Planning Council under the leadership of Governor Dan Evans.
There is much more history but this was the beginning of the shift to use of hatcheries for restoring and rebuilding naturally-spawning runs which has continued for the last thirty years. A much fuller account comes in the book, The Fight of the Salmon People, by Doug Dompier
http://www.amazon.com/Fight-Salmon-People-Blending-Tradition/dp/1413492975.
There is a lot of inertia within any bureacracy and old ideas die hard. I suggest that more recent reports and recommendations on artificial propagation are more reactions to the tribes' proposals than an honest appraisal of their effectiveness which could lead to real reform.
posted 3 years ago
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on Fishing for Answers
Tim, We humans haven't been very kind to salmon. We need to recognize what we've done and what we could have done had we paid attention to higher principles, among them justice. In fact, maybe a process of truth and reconciliation could move us forward like Rev. Desmond Tutu and Mandela espoused in South Africa.
But it's clear that the tribes kicked off the reform movement and have been its chief practitioners. And you can't argue with success. . . or can you?
posted 3 years ago
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on Fishing for Answers
Tribal Restoration Success Stories
Snake River Fall Chinook
Wild fall Chinook reached a low of 78 in 1990 at Lower Granite Dam.
NMFS attempted to stop tribal fishing.
Tribes settled with Federal Government.
Settlement resulted in increased supplementation.
Wild fall Chinook return was 2,777 in 2008 at Lower Granite Dam.
Snake River Coho
1984 count at Lower Granite was 0.
Count was 0 from 1987 to 1996.
NMFS declared population extinct.
Nez Perce began reintroduction program with first returns (84) in 1997.
2008 count at Lower Granite was 4,629.
posted 3 years ago
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on Fishing for Answers
My point is and was that the tribes for whom I work (Yakama, Warm Springs, Umatilla, and Nez Perce) generally have a different policy objective for their hatchery systems; i.e. increasing the abundance of salmon populations spawning in restored or protected natural habitat. That is a different objective than, for instance, the lower river hatcheries below Bonneville Dam that were constructed to support non-Indian fisheries that were to be limited by hydro development. The treaty right includes the right to take fish at all usual and accustomed fishing places. That right, guaranteed by the United States, is not well-served by the hatchery system as it was created during the late 1940's through the 1970's. The tribes, for the last thirty years, have struggled to change that policy and are succeeding.
posted 3 years ago
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on Fishing for Answers
The Carson NFH spring chinook stock was used to successfully restore the Umatilla population and has been used successfully in a number of other recovery efforts. I believe Methow is one of the other efforts. As I recall, the Carson stock was collected from the spring chinook run at Bonneville during the 50's so it expresses traits from all of the upriver spring chinook. BTW, what's so wrong with straying. It is a natural trait that permits salmon to recolonize newly-opened habitat. It's the other side of the coin from homing. But I'm only a lawyer who is repeating what I've heard. Maybe a hatchery tech or fish scientist can comment with first hand information.
posted 3 years ago
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on Fishing for Answers
That's a very serious accusation against a tribal government from someone who posts anonymously as an angler and refuses to provide any facts to support their assertion. Sounds like you hate Indian tribes as well as "hatchery fish." You sound like the kind of guy who gives "anglers" a bad name.
posted 3 years ago
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on Fishing for Answers
Mr. Govin, I presume you are not talking about tribal hatcheries. If so, please clarify. If not, please be more precise in your use of the term, "hatchery fish."
posted 3 years ago
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on Fishing for Answers
For more information about the tribal programs, check out
www.critfc.org
posted 3 years ago
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on Fishing for Answers
Come on, Jeff, you know better than that or you better give up that Ph.D. after your name. As I noted on the program in a grammatically incorrect way, "it ain't a salmon ecosystem unless there are salmon in it." In the Umatilla, the Lower Snake, the Wenatchee, the Clearwater, the Imnaha and many other CR tributaries, the ecosystems are functioning better because there are now populations that spawn in their natal streams and contribute marine nutrients for the flora and fauna. That would not have even been possible without artificial propagation in many of these rivers.
posted 3 years ago
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on Fishing for Answers
Referring to your program, "Fishing for Answers, I recommend the following from the Yakima Herald, the Columbia Basin Bulletin, and Trails.com as food for thinking out loud.
http://www.yakima-herald.com/stories/2010/2/10/02-11-10-coho-returns
http://www.cbbulletin.com/371465.aspx
http://www.trails.com/tcatalog_trail.aspx?trailid=FGW017-083
I also suggest the following for a good representation of the Yakama Nation's approach to use of hatcheries for salmon recovery.
posted 3 years ago
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