Being Frank

  December 2017

Bold Action Needed for Salmon Recovery

Whatcom Watch

by Lorraine Loomis Frustrated with the lack of progress in salmon recovery — especially Puget Sound chinook — treaty tribes in western Washington have proposed seven bold actions to jump-start those efforts. Puget Sound chinook were listed under the Endangered … Continue reading →

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  Oct/Nov 2017

Atlantic Salmon Must Go

Whatcom Watch

by Lorraine Loomis The backlash against Atlantic salmon farms in western Washington continues to grow as more than 100,000 of the non-native fish remain unaccounted for following the collapse of a Cooke Aquaculture facility in northern Puget Sound last month. … Continue reading →

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  August 2017

Let’s Move Past the Culvert Case

Whatcom Watch

by Lorraine Loomis The state of Washington has made remarkable progress in the past four years toward meeting a federal court mandate to repair hundreds of fish-blocking culverts under state roads. Failing culverts deny tribal treaty-reserved fishing rights that include … Continue reading →

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  July 2017

Accountability Matters for Water and Treaty Rights

Whatcom Watch

by Lorraine Loomis Do you make sure you have enough money in your bank account before writing a check for a big purchase? Of course. That’s what responsible people do to avoid trouble down the road. You would think that … Continue reading →

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  June 2017

Conservation Comes First

Whatcom Watch

by Lorraine Loomis An earlier start to the annual salmon season-setting process helped the tribal and state salmon co-managers finish their work right on time this year. Steadily shrinking salmon populations have made the process of establishing fishing seasons increasingly … Continue reading →

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  April 2017

We Need to Do More to Clean Puget Sound

Whatcom Watch

by Lorraine Loomis The health of Puget Sound is getting some much-needed help from efforts to reduce polluted stormwater runoff and a proposed new law that would prohibit sewage discharge from boats. Polluted stormwater runoff from urban areas is the … Continue reading →

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  March 2017

Salmon Management Process Underway Earlier

Whatcom Watch

by Lorraine Loomis The 2017 state and tribal salmon season-setting process got an earlier start this year. Nobody wants a repeat of last year’s North of Falcon process that required a month of overtime negotiations and led to a delay … Continue reading →

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  February 2017

Climate Change is Damaging Treaty Rights

Whatcom Watch

by Lorraine Loomis Climate change isn’t happening to some of us. It’s happening to all of us, and it’s going to take all of us to meet its challenges. A recent report from the treaty Indian tribes in western Washington … Continue reading →

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  January 2017

State Water Quality Standards Finally Updated

Whatcom Watch

by Lorraine Loomis It took a long time on a rough road to get there, but today Washington has some of the most protective water quality standards in the nation. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency last month finalized updated state … Continue reading →

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  December 2016

US Recognizing Tribal Rights

Whatcom Watch

by Lorraine Loomis A wave of federal recognition of tribal sovereignty and treaty rights has reached a high-water mark in the closing days of President Obama’s administration. We hope President-elect Donald Trump will help push that wave even higher. Obama … Continue reading →

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