TREE TALK
by Gary Martin
“Discovery”
How’s it going this month! Is it just me, or does it seem like
summer is flying by. Please keep it safe out there. I thought
of a good word to get me started this month. Sure happy to see
the space shuttle and crew come home safely. Sounds like they
had a successful mission. Also sending good vibes to my
favorite bicycling team. Our word challenges us to see things
“for the first time”. That’s cool. I think it can also apply
to seeing things “again”. Taking a fresh look at familiar
places and things can be rewarding too. The forest is a cool
place to find things. There’s always something new to see.
Hiking around, I see familiar places and some that are totally
new. Some things look about the same, as they did to me in
1978. (The years have flown by too.) Some things have changed
a lot. Some things will change in the future. The key is to
maintain our sense of “discovery”.
I’ve had the good fortune to visit parts of our forest on
various hikes over the years. It’s rewarding to see some of
the changes that have taken place. Some of the changes look
like they’ve been for the better. Some changes may not have
turned out as well as we hoped for. I like to think that both
situations are opportunities for learning. We have many
examples of forest management treatments here on the Colville
Reservation. I think that’s a good thing. We have a
beautifully diverse forest. A variety of management options
are important to have. When we see something from the past
that worked good, we’ll often recommend doing it again in a
similar situation. When we see things that didn’t turn out as
desired, we’ll try something different. It’s an ongoing
process of “discovery”. Just a short “talk” this month. I hope
our word will get you thinking. Maybe in the future we can
take a close, individual look at one of the “discoveries” that
can be found in the forest. Keep having a great, safe summer!
We’ll talk with you again next month.
J
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Broodstock Collection
Study Part of Colville Tribes’ Chief Joseph Salmon Hatchery
The Colville Confederated Tribes are leading a
collaborative study with the state to test live-fish trapping
gear in the Okanogan River this summer. This Bonneville Power
Administration-funded research is to determine methods to
capture summer/fall chinook salmon alive so that they can be
used as broodstock in the Chief Joseph Fish Hatchery, which is
scheduled to begin production by 2011.
“This summer’s capture gear study will help us increase the
genetic diversity of the broodstock we work with at the new
hatchery so we’re not just relying on those fish that return
to the hatchery,” said Joe Peone, Fish and Wildlife Department
Director for the CCT. “Since we’ll be marking the hatchery
fish with adipose fin clips, it may also enable us to offer
additional selective fishing and further increase conservation
of wild salmon.”
The Tribal and state biologists will use tangle nets, beach
seines and a shoreline-anchored net trap to capture salmon
without harming them or other fish that may also be captured.
A small portion of the salmon will be transported to a Tribal
holding facility to determine if in the future they will
survive until they can be spawned in the hatchery.
Starting around July 5th, trapping with the net trap will be
attempted just upstream of the lowest Highway 97 bridge across
the Okanogan River, and by using tangle nets at the mouth of
the Okanogan River below the bridge. Some of the fish will be
transported alive to the Tribal holding facility, and most
will be returned immediately to the river. Some of the fish
returned to the river may be jaw-tagged before being released.
If fishers catch a jaw-tagged salmon, the tag should be
returned with the date and location of catch to a CCT F&W or
WDFW office, or by calling 509-634-2110 or 360-902-2240.
The research will be conducted in one- and two-week periods in
July, August, September and October. Trapping will proceed
upriver through the summer at three other locations to the
Canada border, using the net trap, tangle nets, and beach
seines.
These research traps will be marked with bright orange signs
to let fishers and others on the river know the research is
being conducted. Some of the trapping will be done at night in
order to boost capture success, and to avoid anglers. The
tangle nets will be manned at all times and will be well
marked, including lights when fished at night.
Although upper Columbia River summer/fall Chinook salmon
populations are presently considered healthy, hatchery
production is key to both increase and protect the
naturally-spawning fish, and to provide additional harvest
opportunities for both tribal and sports fishers.
Unlike the way the majority of salmon hatcheries have operated
in the Columbia River Basin over the past one hundred years,
The Tribes’ plan to operate the Chief Joseph Hatchery to
increase fish numbers for harvest, and use locally-adapted
broodstock to supplement wild salmon populations. This
broodstock collection study is directly aimed at providing a
means to capture locally-adapted broodstock, which will
increase the conservation of wild salmon, while also providing
techniques for future additional tribal selective fishing.
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1st Salmon Ceremony
On June 19th & 20th a group of Colville tribal
members helped reinstate a tradition that had been passed up
for many years, this was the second year of the 1st salmon
ceremony. Traditions were passed on for the reason of
something to believe in or to honor the Creator for the valued
life that is given to us, that in our prayers will continue to
provide our children to come.
As the time continues on I have hope to believe more
traditions and gatherings will heal our people and make them
proud of their culture.
This took a lot of planning and waiting for the salmon run to
come before having the ceremony. In doing this the old ways we
have confused a lot of people or even made some feel
uncomfortable. This was not our intent; our feelings are to
put our ways and culture first.
Prior to having the ceremony, we had a drawing contest. By
honoring this student we put their drawing on the t-shirt and
gave out prizes to the best three drawings to encourage the
youths’ participation. These three kids were: 1st place, Blaze
Kenneth Lezard of Omak; 2nd place, Stephanie James of Omak;
and 3rd place, Marissa Chantel Nesta of Keller. All of these
kids will or have received prizes.
I had planned a campout the day before the ceremony. During
this time I had hoped to get the elders to tell stories and
pass down information to our younger generation, and in the
future I would like to encourage our people to plan to share
with our youth to give them a direction to follow.
Sunrise services were held on June 20th. There were about 20
people that came to pray for the fish to return to their
waters as they did long ago. Tom Louie led the people during
this ceremony and I would like to thank him for his wisdom and
help.
Next year the planning group is considering on moving the
salmon ceremony to different sites to pray in a different
fishing area. I don’t really have a lot to say about the whole
ceremony to prevent any culture from being over exposed and I
would like to invite all to come to next year’s ceremony.
Aaron Carden
Fish & Wildlife
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Tribes and Okanogan
Irrigation District Develop MOA to Recover Steelhead in Salmon
Creek
The Colville Tribes Fish & Wildlife staff and
the Okanogan Irrigation District (OID) have worked for nearly
11 months in developing a long-term water lease agreement to
ensure water flow in Salmon Creek.
Salmon Creek, a tributary to the Okanogan River, was
historically inhabited by an abundance of steelhead and
Chinook salmon, hence the name. The flow in the lowermost 4
miles of Salmon Creek has been diverted for irrigation and
disconnected from the Okanogan River since the early 1900’s.
Summer steelhead in the Upper Columbia River Basin (upstream
of the Yakima River) are federally-listed as threatened.
Beginning in May of 2005 discussions between CCT Fish and
Wildlife staff and OID board members regarding a long-term
water lease to reconnect the lower reach of Salmon Creek to
the Okanogan River. In May of 2006, after several revisions, a
memorandum of agreement which describes a 12-year water lease
was signed by both parties. The water lease will provide a
minimum of 700 acre-ft annually. The release of this water,
determined by CCT Fish and Wildlife staff, will coincide with
the peak of the run of returning steelhead.
To increase the benefit of this volume of water, the Tribes
are pursuing funding to construct a low flow channel in the
lower reach of Salmon Creek that will provide fish passage at
a flow of about ½ of what is currently required.
Recovering salmon and steelhead in the Upper Columbia River
Basin is a challenging endeavor, but is possible when
cooperation exist among stakeholders. The well established
working relationship between the OID and the Colville Tribes
has resulted in reconnecting Salmon Creek to the Okanogan
River and summer steelhead are one step closer towards
recovery and more importantly one step further from
extinction.
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NOTICE OF FISHERY
OPENING!
Based upon current escapement levels at Rocky
Reach and Wells Dam the Okanogan River Tribal Sockeye Fishery
will open on Wednesday, July 12, 2006 and continue through
Sunday, September 16, 2006. The run size for Okanogan River
Sockeye is estimated to be 30,000 adults, which projects total
harvest at approximately 2,700 fish. Remember summer steelhead
(Oncorhynchus mykiss) are federally listed as threatened. Use
all measures to prevent the harvest of summer steelhead. All
fishers will provide Tribal creel census clerks and authorized
Tribal Fish and Wildlife personnel with catch information upon
request. All fishers who catch salmon or steelhead must
immediately record their catch on a salmon card. The salmon
cards are available from the Tribal Fish and Wildlife
Department and Community Centers. Specific information
regarding the fishery follows:
Okanogan River – Sockeye Salmon Fishery
Fishers must contact the Tribal Fish and Wildlife Department
to see if this fishery is open/closed before they fish.
Fishing Location – Fishing will be open on the mainstem
Okanogan River from 400 feet below Zosel Dam in Oroville
downstream to the confluence of the Okanogan River.
Fishery Period – This fishery will be opened by in-season
regulation and will be contingent on a Rocky Reach Dam
escapement level of at least 900 adult fish by the end of the
first week in July or a projected tributary minimum run size
of at least 2,000 fish. The Okanogan River fishery will
commence on July 12th and continue until September 16th or
until stopped by Emergency Closure.
Harvest Rates - The following harvest target rates will apply:
3% harvest for projected tributary escapements of 2,000 –
4,000 fish, 4% harvest for escapement of 4,000 – 6,000 fish,
5% harvest for escapement of 6,000 – 10,000 fish, 7% harvest
for escapement of 10,000 – 16,000 fish, 9% harvest for
escapement of 16,000 – 30,000 and 15% harvest for escapements
more than 30,000 fish. This number may increase as sockeye
continue upriver.
Species Restrictions – Incidental catches of summer steelhead,
a threatened species, must be recorded on the salmon and
steelhead card and returned to the Fish & Wildlife Department.
If a steelhead is entangled in a gill net but is alive and in
good condition it must be released immediately.
Authorized Gear – Gill nets, hook and line, hand dip nets, and
spears. No snagging allowed in this fishery.
Gear Restrictions – Gill net mesh is maximum of four and
one-half (4 ½) inches stretched. Gill nets must be fished
upstream of the Highway 97 Bridge.
Harvest for Traditional/Subsistence/Ceremonial Use – A certain
number of fish may be harvested by the Tribes of the Colville
Reservation for distribution to the general membership or for
traditional or ceremonial purposes and gatherings.
Joe Peone,
Director, Fish & Wildlife
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