Being Frank

  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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  September 2017

Sport Crabbing Needs In-season Management

by Lorraine Loomis The same principles we use to manage many of our salmon fisheries should be used t0 regulate recreational harvest of Dungeness crab in Puget Sound. During most chinook salmon fisheries, we develop in-season estimates using catch data … Continue reading

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  December 2021

Stopping Tire Debris From Killing Coho Salmon

by Willie Frank III and David Troutt Now that we know a chemical in our car tires is killing salmon, we have to act urgently to keep it out of the water.  Research published last year confirmed that the preservative … Continue reading

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  December 2021

Hatchery Fish Are Treaty Fish

by Lisa Wilson Tribal treaty rights are being attacked by so-called conservation groups that threaten legal action against our hatcheries. Hatchery production is an essential part of salmon recovery. Along with harvest, habitat and hydropower, it is one of the … Continue reading

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  Oct/Nov 2021

We Have No Time to Slow Down Our Recovery

by Shawn Yanity Editor’s Note: Whatcom Watch first starting printing “Being Frank” — written by Billy Frank Jr. — with the April 2004 issue and continued running his column until May 2009, when The Bellingham Herald starting printing it. We … Continue reading

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