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Whatcom Watch
Being Frank
January 2023
Climate Change Forces Tribes to Leave Traditional Lands
by Ed Johnstone Native nations are on the front lines of climate change. The impacts have reached our shores and are forcing us to leave traditional lands behind. Sea level rise, flooding, erosion, intensity of storm surges and threats of … Continue reading
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December 2022
Infrastructure Is More Than Roads and Bridges
by Ed Johnstone Indigenous tribes existed for thousands of years before we heard the word “infrastructure.” In today’s world, infrastructure includes the roads, bridges, ferries and airports that keep society moving. Generations ago, we didn’t have these things—the natural world … Continue reading
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Oct/Nov 2022
Protecting the Environment for the Next Seven Generations
by Ed Johnstone Every generation owes it to the next seven generations to protect the environment. At the rate populations are growing and the climate is changing, it’s getting harder and harder to be optimistic about what will be left … Continue reading
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September 2022
We Need to Slow the Spread of European Green Crab
by Ed Johnstone Efforts are ramping up to control the explosion of invasive European green crab (Carcinus maenas) in western Washington. The invasive species reached San Francisco in 1989 and was first detected in small numbers on the Olympic coast … Continue reading
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September 2022
Tribes Need to Be at the Table to Conserve Wildlife
by Ed Johnstone Treaty tribes have been working for decades to get federal support for our essential wildlife programs. We’re counting on the U.S. Senate to pass the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act (RAWA) to finally make it happen. The time … Continue reading
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July 2022
To Save Salmon, We Have to Slow Climate Change
by Ed Johnstone No one in the Pacific Northwest is exempt from the impacts of climate change. Rising global temperatures are intensifying floods, droughts and warming waters. Last summer’s heat dome led to temperatures in western Washington as high as … Continue reading
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July 2022
Proposed Chehalis Dam Threatens Treaty Rights
by Ed Johnstone A proposed dam on the Chehalis River is a threat not only to salmon recovery, but also our treaty rights. It’s a step in the wrong direction as the rest of the region has moved into an … Continue reading
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May 2022
Marine Mammal Predation Is Out of Control
by Ed Johnstone Our tribal fishermen are being out-fished by marine mammals. When I was growing up in the 1950s and ’60s, it was rare to see a sea lion at the mouth of the Quinault or Hoh rivers. But … Continue reading
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April 2022
The Measuring Stick of Our Survival
by Ed Johnstone My mentor Billy Frank Jr. always said salmon are the measuring stick of our survival. He was referring to all of us. Salmon are the keystone that supports dozens of other species of fish and wildlife. Their … Continue reading
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February 2022
Salmon Recovery Will Take More Than Money
by Ed Johnstone There’s no doubt about it. The Biden administration is working hard to pay the price for salmon recovery. The $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill is just an example. We have never seen so much political will and … Continue reading
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