Presentation Abstract
Samish people have been stewards of the environment in the San Juan Archipelago for hundreds of generations. As a Coast Salish Tribe, Samish culture and traditions are intimately tied to resources and places in the Salish Sea. Every beach in Samish Traditional Territory has seen footprints of the ancestors. Honoring traditional ways while preserving cultural use materials and foods for future generations is a cornerstone that guides the work of Samish DNR. In the past 4 years, Samish DNR in partnership with Washington DNR, Washington Conservation Corps, Veterans Conservation Corps, and Earthcorps, have removed over 580,000 pounds of creosote and marine debris from shorelines of Skagit County, Island County, Southern Whatcom County and San Juan County. This program has been so effective because of strong partner relationships, team work and pre-cleanup data collection. In 2017, Samish DNR surveyed islands for creosote and marine debris to help expedite the cleanup effort. This had not been done in the previous years. Using this method, Samish DNR identified 325 sites within the San Juan Islands. Many of the sites were found in areas we had previously cleaned. By completing this survey, we prioritize our cleanup efforts and remove debris from the largest contaminated areas. For 2018, we are likely to see another productive year of creosote and marine debris assessment and clean up. There is still territory to cover, and often, marine debris washes up on the same beaches every year. We will continue to build strong relationships with partners and landowners to remove marine debris from Samish Traditional Territory. This will ensure that generations to come will be able to continue utilizing the bountiful natural resources of the Salish Sea that is such an important part of Samish cultural identity.
Session Title
The Application and Creation of Knowledge that Leads to Action to Restore and Protect an Ecosystem
Keywords
Marine debris, Creosote clean up, Samish traditional territory
Conference Track
SSE4: Ecosystem Management, Policy, and Protection
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2018 : Seattle, Wash.)
Document Type
Event
SSEC Identifier
SSE4-96
Start Date
6-4-2018 9:30 AM
End Date
6-4-2018 9:45 AM
Type of Presentation
Oral
Genre/Form
conference proceedings; presentations (communicative events)
Contributing Repository
Digital content made available by University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Marine debris--Cleanup--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.); Creosote--Environmental aspects--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.); Environmental responsibility--Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)
Subjects – Names (LCNAF)
Samish Indian Nation
Geographic Coverage
Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)
Rights
This resource is displayed for educational purposes only and may be subject to U.S. and international copyright laws. For more information about rights or obtaining copies of this resource, please contact University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225-9103, USA (360-650-7534; heritage.resources@wwu.edu) and refer to the collection name and identifier. Any materials cited must be attributed to the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference Records, University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Type
Text
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Included in
Fresh Water Studies Commons, Marine Biology Commons, Natural Resources and Conservation Commons, Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Commons
Samish Indian Nation Department of Natural Resources' efforts to remove marine debris and creosote using GIS in the San Juan Archipelago, Washington State
Samish people have been stewards of the environment in the San Juan Archipelago for hundreds of generations. As a Coast Salish Tribe, Samish culture and traditions are intimately tied to resources and places in the Salish Sea. Every beach in Samish Traditional Territory has seen footprints of the ancestors. Honoring traditional ways while preserving cultural use materials and foods for future generations is a cornerstone that guides the work of Samish DNR. In the past 4 years, Samish DNR in partnership with Washington DNR, Washington Conservation Corps, Veterans Conservation Corps, and Earthcorps, have removed over 580,000 pounds of creosote and marine debris from shorelines of Skagit County, Island County, Southern Whatcom County and San Juan County. This program has been so effective because of strong partner relationships, team work and pre-cleanup data collection. In 2017, Samish DNR surveyed islands for creosote and marine debris to help expedite the cleanup effort. This had not been done in the previous years. Using this method, Samish DNR identified 325 sites within the San Juan Islands. Many of the sites were found in areas we had previously cleaned. By completing this survey, we prioritize our cleanup efforts and remove debris from the largest contaminated areas. For 2018, we are likely to see another productive year of creosote and marine debris assessment and clean up. There is still territory to cover, and often, marine debris washes up on the same beaches every year. We will continue to build strong relationships with partners and landowners to remove marine debris from Samish Traditional Territory. This will ensure that generations to come will be able to continue utilizing the bountiful natural resources of the Salish Sea that is such an important part of Samish cultural identity.
