fisheries – Puyallup Tribal News

07 Feb

Chairman Sterud testifies on land exchange bill

fisheries, land restoration, Puyallup Tribal Council, WSDOT

Photo by Puyallup Tribal News staff Chairman Bill Sterud testified virtually before the state Senate Transportation Committee today in support of legislation that would smooth land exchanges with the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT). The legislation would remove the requirement that a tribal government must waive sovereign immunity and agree not to place property into trust status in order to participate in exchanges for property that requires environmental mitigation. Chairman Sterud pointed out that waiving sovereign immunity can be a non-starter in negotiations, and typically such exchanges begin with the state approaching a tribe and asking for land to…

21 Jun

Electron Dam update from Tribal Council

Environmental, fisheries, Puyallup Tribal Council

To our Membership, We won a big victory this morning. Last month we asked a judge to block Electron Hydro from opening the water intake to generate electricity, and profits, as it tries to salvage its fish-killing Electron Dam. We argued that opening the intake would kill more fish, and we asked the judge to issue a preliminary injunction to keep the dam owners from opening that intake until they get the right permits. In his ruling, the judge cited much of the evidence given by our Fisheries experts, who spent hours detailing impacts to fish and our Membership. The…

21 May

Puyallup Tribe seeks court order to stop Electron Hydro from opening fish-killing dam’s water intake

Chinook Salmon, Clean Water Act, Electron Dam, Endangered Species Act, fisheries, Puyallup River

May 21, 2021 Puyallup Tribe seeks court order to stop Electron Hydro from opening fish-killing dam’s water intake ‘Everything they did last summer makes it worse,’ Tribal Council says TACOMA—The Puyallup Tribe on Thursday asked a federal court judge in its case against Electron Hydro LLC to issue an order blocking the company from opening a water intake as it stumbles through attempts to get the dam operational. The Puyallup River is home to Chinook salmon, which are important to Tribal and non-Tribal fishers alike and a critical food source of endangered Southern Resident orcas. The river is also home…

20 Apr

From fishing wars to Alcatraz, Ramona Bennett shares stories for hatchery project

Alcatraz, City of Puyallup, fisheries, fishing wars, McNeil Island, Ramona Bennett, Treaty Rights

By Puyallup Tribal News Staff On Wednesday, employees from Puyallup Tribal Fisheries and Historic Preservation met at the City of Puyallup Historical Hatchery Foundation. They had an opportunity to document the history of the Puyallup Tribal Fisheries with former Puyallup Tribal Chairwoman and Elder Ramona Bennett. She shared with them the significance of fisheries to the Tribe through her experience of being a part of the fishing wars camps, selling salmon at Alcatraz, to being shot at with attempts out on her life at least four times. The 83-year-old woman sat there at times with a smile on her face…