Day 9


July 16h

Today we met with BJ Keiffer, DNR Director. He shared a lot with us about the Spokane Tribe and how Timber was the driving force for the tribe, but that timber production has decreased from what it once was. He talked about how Grand Coulee Dam stops salmon from returning. And that reintroducing fish is their greatest natural resource problem. He mentioned that the Spokane tribe is so far removed from the river that other tribes here in Washington that often times people have to relearn that the Spokane tribe were once river people. Other challenges the Spokane face is the aftermath of a few fires that burned a 3rdof the reservation in 2015 and 2016. Uranium mines are also currently being reclamated on the Spokane Reservation. Something that really helped me that BJ said was – ‘Of all the things people can take from you an education is one of the things they can’t take.’ Later we met with Vernon Stearns Jr., Fuels Manager for the Spokane Tribe. He explained prescribed fire treatments, broadcast burns, pile burns, and site prep burns. He also explained Mechanical Treatments, thinning/piling/chipping/mastication, and mowing. Vernon also shared that he thought that Spokane Tribal Forest health may be decreasing. We then met with Dr. Brent Nichols with Spokane Fisheries. He mentioned Lake Roosevelt Fish Hatchery for white sturgeon and how that costs about 10 million to run. He spoke about northen pike an invasive species that the Spokane tribe is trying to remove. Northern Pike have been an issure since 2015 for the tribe. Quagga and Zebra mussels were also discussed as another invasive species in the water costing millions in maintenance. Rainbow trout and Kokanee trout are the first fish hatchery program the Spokane tribe created. Finally we met with Bryn Crosley and he discussed that the Spokane tribe has to closely monitor their drinking water due to high concentrations of uranium in the area due to the 2 uranium mines that are located on the Spokane Reservation. Red brand trout were also discussed and they go out to Lake Roosevelt and rear and then return to their tributaries. 

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