Published: Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Tribe to protect salmon habitat
The Stillaguamish Tribe is working with a conservation group to purchase and rehabilitate riverfront land.
ARLINGTON — Restoration efforts to preserve salmon runs are expected to begin this summer along the Stillaguamish River.
The Stillaguamish Tribe and the Cascade Land Conservancy teamed up to secure grant money for the $325,000 purchase of 77 acres along the river.
The rehabilitation work might include planting native species, weed control and the creation of logjams.
“This is a major step toward protecting the habitat we need for strong salmon runs,” said Shawn Yanity, fisheries manager for the Stillaguamish Tribe. “For the tribe, this is about preserving our way of life.”
The conservancy handled the land purchase for the tribe, using grant money from the Salmon Recovery Funding Board, part of the state Recreation and Conservation Office.
The property along the river’s North Fork was owned by Bryson Investment Group of Arlington. It includes two-thirds of a mile on the riverfront, a forested area with Douglas fir and red alder, and other wetlands.
The drop in the salmon population is a major concern for conservancy groups and also local American Indian tribes, which view the fish as a vital part of their culture.
While 77 acres may seem like a drop in the bucket for the about 448,000-acre Stillaguamish River watershed, it is still important, said Stillaguamish Tribe environmental manager Pat Stevenson.
The tribe may be ramping up its purchases to further insulate salmon from potentially harmful development, he said.
“I think you’ll be seeing more of it in the near future,” Stevenson said.
Andy Rathbun: 425-339-3455, arathbun@heraldnet.com.
The Stillaguamish Tribe and the Cascade Land Conservancy teamed up to secure grant money for the $325,000 purchase of 77 acres along the river.
The rehabilitation work might include planting native species, weed control and the creation of logjams.
“This is a major step toward protecting the habitat we need for strong salmon runs,” said Shawn Yanity, fisheries manager for the Stillaguamish Tribe. “For the tribe, this is about preserving our way of life.”
The conservancy handled the land purchase for the tribe, using grant money from the Salmon Recovery Funding Board, part of the state Recreation and Conservation Office.
The property along the river’s North Fork was owned by Bryson Investment Group of Arlington. It includes two-thirds of a mile on the riverfront, a forested area with Douglas fir and red alder, and other wetlands.
The drop in the salmon population is a major concern for conservancy groups and also local American Indian tribes, which view the fish as a vital part of their culture.
While 77 acres may seem like a drop in the bucket for the about 448,000-acre Stillaguamish River watershed, it is still important, said Stillaguamish Tribe environmental manager Pat Stevenson.
The tribe may be ramping up its purchases to further insulate salmon from potentially harmful development, he said.
“I think you’ll be seeing more of it in the near future,” Stevenson said.
Andy Rathbun: 425-339-3455, arathbun@heraldnet.com.
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