Today we'll feature an episode of
NAMAPAHH First People's Radio which can usually be heard on
KVSR out of Mt. Vernon.
I've lost my voice, so I'll be talking as little as possible. Thanks to Robin Carneen who does great work.
Here's a summary of the show:This segment of NAMAPAHH First People's Radio is an underwater environmental focus involving a team
effort by NW Tribes working alongside multiple agencies and each other, in compliance with Washington State Govenor Christine Gregoire's Puget Sound Imitative, which has made it a priority to clean up, restore protect and enhance sites that are in found in need of such actions by the year 2020.
In the Fall of 2007, after the Samish Indian Nation, located in Anacortes, WA was awarded $160,000 from the Washington State Department of Ecology.With part of the funds the Samish Tribe contracted the Nisqually Aquatic Technologies, Inc. (NAT) and Ridolfi Inc. These experts started conducting studies in October '07 along the Tommy Thompson Trail. The NAT team is made up of Nisqually, Squaxin and Puyallup divers whose specialty is collecting samples, conducting underwater filming; examination of structures and marine life, and providing data to tribes and agencies that contract with them.
This trail, which belongs to the City of Anacortes, is partially made up of a rock causeway and a train trestle.
It is a very popular public walking and biking trail unique to Skagit County, extending from Fidalgo Bay Resort and RV Park (owned and operated by the Samish) across the 40 acres of tide lands, reaching the shores of the functioning Anacortes Refinery which sits on March's Point across the Fidalgo Bay.
According to the Samish Indian Nation, tidal flow is possibly being impeded by the trestle and they would like to possibly build a "greenway" to replace it. There is also a concern of creosote possibly leaking from the old pilings into Fidalgo Bay. This threat could be creating a toxic environment for the food chain and other life force above and below the surface. The Samish tribe has been studying and monitoring Fidalgo Bay but needed to dive deeper to collect more justification for clean up efforts and build the proposed new trail that would be more environmentally compatible.
The Puget Sound is a gem to many Native Americans and others in Washington State. It has historically been a source of food for many of the Salish people and they are familiar with the conditions of this valuable, irreplaceable resource. They are natural
stewards when it comes to protecting, studying it and problem solving around the many layers of concerns that may be lurking beneath the surface, that are being investigated by those that are involved.
Featured Speakers/guests: Seth Preston- Communications Manager with Washington Department of Ecology Toxins Clean Up and Air Quality Program and originally from Skagit County; Leslie Eastwood- Samish Tribal Member and General Manager of the Samish Tribe; Christine Woodward- Natural Resource director for the Samish tribe;
Dennis Lucia- Nisqually Tribal Member and head of the Nisqually Aquatics Technologies dive team;
Sandra Caldwell-project lead for the Washington department of Ecology's toxins clean up program;
Monty Season- one of the six man NAT dive team and a Nisqually tribal member; Colin Wagner(CEO Ridolphi, Inc-project manager of Samish Feasibility Study), Sherry Duncan (fish biologist), Hazel Delacruz (documentation)-Ridolfi Inc.
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National*
Supreme Court Judge Antonin Scalia attempts to defend "so-called" torture tactics by U.S. government; derides European view of the death penalty- rare interview given to BBC Radio 4 programme "Law in Action". So far, no mention of this at all in U.S. press.
- I am simply amazed at this and so angered that this man can sit on our highest, most esteemed court.
International*
Exxon Mobil cut off from Venezuela's oil, CNN
Good News!*
Russia, China Propose New Treaty to Ban Arms in Space, Agency France Press via Common Dreams
(. . . the bad news is that the Bush Administration, predictably, disagrees . . .)
