Public Information Office
Charles Hudson,
Manager
(503) 731-1257
Jeremy FiveCrows, Publications
(503) 731-1275
Sara Thompson,
Public Information Officer
(503) 238-3567
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Press Releases
 2009 Releases |
| Davis
Washines named CRITFC’s Chief of Enforcement |
8 March 2010
Davis E. Washines,
a member of the Yakama Nation, takes charge today of CRITFC’s
enforcement responsibilities as the commission’s new Chief of
Law Enforcement. Washines, whose tribal name is Yellowash, comes to
CRITFC with extensive history in tribal law enforcement and over 25
years of experience.
|
| Aja
DeCoteau Named CRITFC’s Watershed Department Manager |
March
1, 2010
Aja K. DeCoteau, a
member of the Yakama Nation, is joining the Columbia River Inter-Tribal
Fish Commission (CRITFC) on March 8 as the new manager for CRITFC’s
watershed department. DeCoteau, 29, has been serving as the program
manager for the Yakama Nation’s Environmental Management Program
in Toppenish WA for the past two years.
|
| Tribes
Praise President’s Budget Increase for Treaty Rights Protection
in 2011 |
2 Feb 2010
Tribal leaders from
the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (CRITFC) are praising
the Obama Administration today for a long-sought funding increase
for tribal treaty rights-based natural resource management.
|
| The
Nez Perce Tribe asks Ninth Circuit Court To Overturn FERC Decision
Approving the Bradwood Landing LNG Project |
27
January 2010
The Nez Perce Tribe
filed a petition in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals asking the
court to step in on behalf of salmon and overturn the Federal Energy
Regulatory Commission's approval of the proposed Bradwood Landing
Liquefied Natural Gas terminal and pipeline.
|
| Fishery
managers predict 470,000 Columbia River spring Chinook in 2010 |
10 Dec 2009
The technical committee
advising Columbia River fishery managers has released its forecast
for the 2010 spring Chinook run. If the fish show up as projected,
the forecast of 470,000 spring chinook would be the largest return
to the Columbia since 1938.
|
| 600,000
Coho Eggs Make Nine Hour Journey Home |
10 Dec 2009
Approximately 600,000 bright orange live-eyed Clearwater coho salmon
eggs from the Clearwater River in northern Idaho made the 400-mile,
nine-hour trip back home to the Eagle Creek National Fish Hatchery
in Estacada, Oregon.
|
| CRITFC,
the Accords, and the Biological Opinion |
Sept 2009
An explanation of the CRITFC member tribes' various positions regarding the Columbia Basin Fish Accords.
|
| Tim
Weaver honored by ATNI by resolution (ATNI Res. 09-61) |
Sept
2009
At the September Affiliated
Tribes of Northwest Indians Annual Conference, long-time Yakama tribal
attorney Tim Weaver was honored.
|
| McCoy
Oatman Named CRITFC Chair |
22 Sept 2009
Oatman, member of
the Nez Perce Tribe’s Executive Committee and CRITFC commissioner,
becomes chair of the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission.
|
| Tribes
Open Fall Commercial Fishery |
24 August 2009
Tribal fishers from
the Nez Perce, Umatilla, Warm Springs and Yakama tribes opened their
2009 fall commercial season today for the sales of Columbia River
fish.
|
| U.S.
Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Visits Northwest Tribes |
3 August 2009
Larry EchoHawk, U.S.
assistant secretary for Indian affairs, made his first visit to the
Pacific Northwest as the head of the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs
to meet with leaders of the 24 treaty Indian tribes in the Pacific
Northwest.
|
| Rebecca
Miles Chosen to Lead CRITFC |
17 July 2009
Rebecca Miles,
Nez Perce tribal member, and official, was selected by her treaty
tribal officials to lead the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission
(CRITFC) 2009-2010 officer team as its chair. Miles election this
morning makes her one of the youngest commissioners to serve in the
position.
|
| Sockeye Return to Yakima
Basin after 103-year Absence |
7 July 2009
The Yakama Nation today took a historic
step toward restoration of sockeye salmon to the Yakima basin by reintroducing
adult sockeye into Lake Cle Elum.
|
| Columbia
River tribal commercial fishery begins today |
16 June 2009
Sales of local, fresh
summer Chinook (historically called "June Hogs" because
of their size), steelhead, sockeye and incidentally caught walleye,
shad and carp opens today, June 16, at 6 a.m. and continue until further
notice.
|
| Tribes
find success in hatchery supplementation |
12 June 2009
CRITFC question the
conclusions of a recent scientific study that claims the interbreeding
of hatchery and wild steelhead can reduce the reproductive success
of future steelhead generations.
|
| Tribes,
feds, and states celebrate first year of new era in Columbia Basin fisheries
protection |
8
May 2009
Nearly 400 tribal,
federal, state and local leaders returned Friday to a historic fishing
village on the banks of the Columbia River, celebrating unprecedented
collaboration cemented a year ago at the same place by Columbia Basin
Fish Accords.
|
| CRITFC
leaders name Babtist (Paul) Lumley new Executive Director |
29
April 2009
Babtist
(Paul) Lumley, a member of the Yakama Indian Nation and 23-year veteran
of American Indian policy, is returning to the Columbia Basin after
a five- year absence to serve as the executive director for the Columbia
River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission.
|
| Pinkham
leaves CRITFC for native nation-building in Midwest |
12 March 2009
Jaime Pinkham, Nez
Perce tribal member and Watershed Department Manager for the Columbia
River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (CRITFC), will say good-bye to
CRITFC and the Columbia Basin after four and a half years of dedication
to salmon restoration and tribal treaty fishing rights.
|
| Tribal
fish management move to the head of science class with new genetics technology |
13 Jan 2009
CRITFC is the
first in the Columbia Basin to integrate a revolutionary genetics technology
to advance salmon management. The new technology known as integrated
fluidic circuits, or IFCs, read the genetic code of specific genes
of interest in salmon and steelhead populations.
|
| 2008 Releases |
| Federal judge rejects Humane Society challenge to sea lion management |
26 Nov 2008
The tribes expressed strong support today for a federal court ruling against a humane society lawsuit that sought to block the removal of predatory sea lions from Bonneville Dam.
|
| Collaborative
effort launches rulemaking process for revised water quality standard |
23 October 2008
The Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (CRITFC) and its
member tribes commended the State of Oregon’s Environmental
Quality Commission (EQC) today for their unanimous vote to approve
an action that begins a yearlong rulemaking process to revise Oregon’s
toxic criteria for human health.
|
| CRITFC
and basin tribes petition for rehearing on LNG decision |
20 Oct 2008
The Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (CRITFC), Confederated
Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation and Nez Perce Tribe are
joining the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
the states of Washington and Oregon and a coalition of public interest
groups in filing a request for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
(FERC) to reconsider its premature approval of a liquefied natural
gas (LNG) terminal at the Bradwood Landing site in the Columbia
River estuary.
|
| 25th
annual Oxbow Salmon Festival anticipating sun and salmon |
6
October 2008
Metro’s Salmon
Festival celebrates the fall Chinook that spawn in the Sandy River
along Oxbow Regional Park. About 10,000 young and young-at-heart visitors
will descend on the event October 11-12, 2008 to enjoy guided river
walks, music, craft activities and CRITFC’s Wy-Kan-Ush-Pum Village.
|
| Columbia
River Treaty Tribes Plan to Appeal FERC’s Flawed Decision on Bradwood
LNG Project |
18 Sept 2008
The Columbia River treaty tribes expressed disappointment today
over the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s conditional
approval of a liquefied natural gas terminal in the heart of the
Columbia River estuary.
|
| Fall
tribal commercial fishery beginning |
19 August 2008
Bright and early on Tuesday morning tribal fishers will begin their
main Columbia River Fall Chinook commercial fishing season; providing
the public with ample opportunities to purchase fresh, Indian-caught
salmon directly from tribal fishers.
|
| 10-year
Agreement Forged for Columbia River Salmon Harvest, Production |
13
August 2008
A new 10-year agreement
guiding salmon harvest and production on the Columbia River, approved
yesterday by a federal judge, provides a long-term framework for rebuilding
weak fish populations and conducting sustainable fisheries.
|
| Tribes
express concern, offer enforcement aid to lamprey/steelhead dumping investigation |
8
August 2008
Columbia River tribal leaders expressed concern today over the
discovery of dumped and wasted steelhead and Pacific lamprey at
Celilo Park on the Columbia River.
|
| Olney
“JP” Patt, Jr. steps down as CRITFC executive director |
21 July 2008
Olney “JP”
Patt, Jr. today announced his resignation as the executive director
of the Portland, Oregon-based Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission
effective August 1st, 2008.
|
| Columbia
River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission Welcomes its 2008-2009 Officers |
16 July 2008
The newly elected officers of the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission.
|
| Columbia
River Tribal Salmon Harvest Returns! |
18 June 2008
Members of the salmon-loving
community can take heart, local salmon is available. The highly anticipated
tribal summer fishery will begin to satisfy local appetites for the
best salmon available.
|
| Columbia
River Chinook returns boosted under new US/Canada salmon agreement |
22
May 2008
Negotiators from the
United States and Canada today announced completion of a ten-year
agreement for Chinook management under the Pacific Salmon Treaty that
promotes sustainability through reductions in ocean fisheries and
funding of improved assessment programs.
|
| Officials
recover body of one Yakama fisher today, two other remain lost
Multi-agency search effort continues |
18
May 2008
Officials today recovered
the body of Yakama Nation tribal fisherman, James Peter Jr., who went
missing along with two other Yakama Fishers on May 7th, 2008.
|
| Multi-agency
search continues for three tribal fishermen missing on the Columbia
River |
9
May 2008
The Yakama Nation Fisheries
Enforcement, Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fisheries Enforcement, Skamania
County Sheriff’s Office, and the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary
are continuing search efforts for three tribal fishermen who went
missing on the Columbia River Wednesday morning when they failed to
return from salmon fishing.
|
| Tribes
open prized spring fishery for the first time years |
5
May 2008
For the first time
in several years, fishers from the four Columbia River Treaty Tribes
will be selling the most coveted of all the Columbia River salmon,
the prized spring Chinook.
|
| Tribes and feds end decades of legal battles to begin new era |
2
May 2008
Years of divisiveness
over salmon recovery efforts in the Columbia River Basin ended today
for the tribes and federal agencies that signed unprecedented agreements
designed to deliver specific, scientifically valid biological results
for the region’s fish. The agreements, celebrated today with
traditional tribal ceremonies at a place of cultural significance
in the Columbia River Gorge, are now called The Columbia Basin Fish
Accords.
|
| Columbia
River Treaty Tribes Praise Federal Decision on Problem Sea Lions |
18 March 2008
Strong praise came today from leaders of the Columbia River treaty
tribes for a federal decision authorizing increased management of
nuisance sea lions exploiting endangered salmon stocks.
|
| Sea
lions vs. salmon: Restore balance and common sense |
15 February 2008
An opinion piece by
CRITFC Chair Fidelia Andy commenting on the recommendation by NOAA
Fisheries to allow limited lethal removal of problem California sea
lions below Bonneville Dam.
|
| Treaty
Tribes Praise Federal Sea Lion Recommendation |
17
January 2008
Leaders of the Columbia
River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission's member tribes today expressed
strong support for a federal recommendation to authorize limited lethal
removal of California sea lions whose impact on endangered Columbia
River salmon has reached crisis levels.
|
| 2007 Releases |
| CRITFC wins SOLV
Citizenship Award |
4 December 2007
On November 8th the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission's hard work
and dedication towards protecting and restoring salmon in the Columbia
River Basin was recognized by SOLV at its 14th annual Citizenship
Awards Banquet.
|
| The Dalles
Reservoir Sturgeon Research Activities to Commence |
16 November 2007
The purpose of this bulletin is to inform the public, especially people
living, working, or recreating on or near The Dalles Reservoir this
winter about our upcoming The Dalles Reservoir white sturgeon fishery
research activities.
|
| 2007
Tribal Fall Fishery Set to Begin |
20 August 2007
Opening at 6 a.m. on Wednesday, August 22, the Nez Perce, Umatilla,
Warm Springs and Yakama tribes have authorized a commercial gill
net fishery where Chinook, coho, steelhead, walleye, shad and carp
will be available for purchase directly from tribal fishers. Sturgeon
and sockeye are not available for sale at this time. |
| Columbia
River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission Welcomes First Chairwoman among 2007-2008
officers |
24 July 2007
The Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (CRITFC) will welcome
its 2007-2008 officers this week, and for the first time in the
commission's 30-year history, a female chair. |
| Let
the Tribal Summer Fishery and Direct-to-Public Sales Begin! |
15 June 2007
Beginning Saturday, June 16, 2007, tribal treaty fishers will begin the first
and long awaited 2007 commercial sales of Columbia River Chinook salmon. |
| Native
American Fish and Wildlife Society Honors CRITFE Officer as Conservation
Officer of the Year |
24 May 2007
The Native American Fish and Wildlife Society named
Sergeant Mitch Hicks, a patrol sergeant with the Columbia River
Inter-Tribal Fisheries Enforcement as this year's Conservation
Officer of the Year. |
| Ninth
Circuit Says BPA Rates Fail To Recover True Fish and Wildlife Costs |
3 May 2007
Late this afternoon the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals again ruled
in favor of fish and wildlife restoration efforts in the Columbia
River Basin. The three judge panel found that the wholesale power
rates set by BPA ignored critical information indicating that a more
substantial investment in salmon recovery would be required. |
| Celilo
Falls 50th anniversary events set to begin |
23 February 2007
March 10, 2007 will mark fifty years since the rising waters behind
The Dalles Dam flooded Celilo Falls and its ancient tribal fishery.
Celilo’s rich, tragic history yet hopeful future will be marked
by a number of activities planned throughout the Columbia River Basin
during the month of March. |
| 9th
Circuit Court orders BPA to keep salmon science center operating |
24 January 2007
Recognizing that salmon and steelhead are "two the great resources
of the Columbia River" the United States Ninth Circuit Court
of Appeals ruled today that the Fish Passage Center must remain operational
and funded by the Bonneville Power Administration. |
| Yakama
Nation wins Fish Passage Center case in 9th Circuit |
24 January 2007
Science and salmon restoration won a major legal victory today when
the United States Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the Fish
Passage Center must remain operational and funded by the Bonneville
Power Administration. |
| 2006 Releases |
| Columbia River
Inter-Tribal Fish Commission Launches Celilo Legacy Blog |
14 November 2006
The Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (CRITFC) today unveiled
a new online blog as part of its Celilo Legacy project. The blog will
serve as a clearinghouse for public discourse, information, events,
activities, and memorials in conjunction with the 50th anniversary
of the inundation of Celilo Falls on March 10, 1957. |
| Tribal
Fall Fishery Begins Highlighted by Direct-to-Public Sales |
21 August 2006
Tribal treaty fishers today began what is expected to be a strong
month of commercial fishing for Columbia River Fall Chinook. This
year’s fall Columbia River Indian salmon harvest will be highlighted
by “over-the-bank” sales providing ample opportunities
to the public to buy Chinook salmon directly from tribal fishers. |
| Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission Announces 2006-2007 Officers |
20 July 2006
The Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission welcomed its 2006-2007
officers at its recent July commission meeting. Leslie Bill, representing the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs
Reservation of Oregon, was elected as chairman of the four-tribe
commission for a one-year term, replacing Robert Taylor (Nez Perce).
|
| Columbia
River Tribes complete world's largest wild salmon tagging project |
9 June 2006
Tribal fisheries
management crews working in the Columbia River's Hanford Reach this
week completed annual work on the world's largest long-term tagging
project of a wild salmon stock. A total of 205,145 Hanford Reach salmon,
commonly referred to as upriver bright fall Chinook, were implanted
with a laser-etched wire tag, 1.1 milimeters in length, between May
25th and June 4th. |
| CRITFC
announces Spirit of the Salmon Fund Award Winners |
8 May 2006
This year's Spirit of the Salmon awardees will be honored at the 6th annual Wy-Kan-Ush-Pum ("Salmon
People”) gala on Saturday, May 13th. The gala celebration honors
the work of CRITFC, its member tribes, and environmental conservation
friends and partners. |
| Bonneville
Power Administration Terminates Fish Passage Center |
26 January 2006
Leaders of the Columbia River treaty-fishing tribes today roundly
condemned a decision by the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA)
to vanquish a long-serving science center. |
| 2005 Releases |
| 2004 Releases |
| 2003 Releases |
| 2002 Releases |
| 2001 Releases |
|
Wana Chinook Tymoo magazine
Wana Chinook Tymoo means "Columbia River salmon stories" in
Sahaptin, the common language family of CRITFC's member tribes. It is
published to educate and inform the four tribaes and the general public
of salmon news and projects in the Columbia River Basin.
Winter 2009 (
4.2 MB)
Winter 2008 (
4.8 MB)
Summer 2004 (
3.1 MB)
Winter 2003 (
4.2 MB)
|
